Fearing that Google has not instituted adequate privacy measures to protect
readers in its Google Book Search initiative, three consumer rights groups have
asked Google to let users delete their book purchase records, erase reader
logging data after 30 days, and only disclose reader records for legitimate
warrants and court orders.
Google responded that the settlement has not even been approved by the court
so the Google Book Search services haven't been built, let alone designed yet.
In a letter addressed to Google CEO Eric Schmidt (PDF) and dated July 23, the
American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, the Electronic Frontier
Foundation and the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at
Berkeley Law School charge that while Google has focused on how to expand its
service for digitizing the world's books online, the search giant has not been
clear about how it will protect its customers' privacy.
Google Book Search, which aims to scan millions of books online and make
them accessible to consumers and libraries for fees, has been ramping up in the
wake of the search engine giant's $125 million settlement with the Authors Guild and the
Association of American Publishers.
With the Department of Justice formally scrutinizing this effort, the
ACLU, EFF and Samuelson clinic are increasing the pressure on Google this week,
noting:
Under its current design, Google Book
Search keeps track of what books readers search for and browse, what books they
read, and even what they "write" down in the margins. Given the long
and troubling history of government and third party efforts to compel libraries
and booksellers to turn over records about readers, it is essential that Google
Books incorporate strong privacy protections in both the architecture and
policies of Google Book Search. Without these, Google Books could become a
one-stop shop for government and civil litigant fishing expeditions into the
private lives of Americans.
The biggest request the groups are asking of Google is that it let Google
Book Search customers have complete control of their purchases and purchasing
data.
Readers should be able to delete their records to prevent others from seeing
their reading activities. Moreover, they argue that readers should be able to
share books they pay for online with anyone without tracking and that Google
should not reveal any information about Google book use to credit card
processors.
The groups also want the search engine giant to make it clear to Google Book
Search users what information is being collected and stored about them. They
also ask Google not to keep logging information longer than 30 days, or link
information it collects about Google Book Search readers to their usage of
other Google services without consent.
The groups also ask that Google refrain from disclosing reader information unless
requested through subpoenas and court orders.
In short, the groups are trying to protect users from the many ways
information collected in the Google Book Search service could be exploited for
marketing information and financial gain.
Dan Clancy, the engineering director for Google Books, responded to the
letter July 23, arguing that because the services haven't been built yet, it's
hard to draft a detailed privacy policy. Clancy wrote:
We're thinking hard about how best to
build privacy protections into the products authorized under the settlement. We've
been having ongoing discussions with a wide range of privacy advocates, and we
look forward to talking more with them and others throughout the industry about
how to protect the privacy of people who search, browse, and buy books online.
Independent of the Department of Justice investigation, a U.S. District
Court is examining the Google Books settlement and will hold a fairness hearing
Oct. 7.
Even so, Hugh D'Andrade, a graphic designer for the EFF, asked the public in
this blog post to e-mail or write Google's Schmidt demanding privacy.
Consumer Watchdog's John Simpson chimed in, and there is more
on TechMeme
here.
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