How much does Google know about you?

Because storage is cheap, data from these services can be retained practically forever, and Google won’t specify how long it keeps such information.

Without elaborating, Google says it “may share” data across such services as e-mail and search. It also provides information to outside parties serving as Google’s agents — though they must first agree to uphold Google’s privacy policies.

Much of the concern, though, stems from a fear of the unknown.

“Everybody gets worried about what they (Google) could do but what they have done to date has not seemed to violate any privacy that anyone has documented,” said Danny Sullivan, editor of the online newsletter Search Engine Watch.

Eric Goldman, a cyberlaw professor at Marquette University, believes the focus ought to be on the underlying problem: access by hackers and law enforcement.

“We still need to have good technology to inhibit the hackers. We still need laws that make hacking criminal. We still need restraints on government surveillance,” Goldman said. “Google’s database doesn’t change any of that.”

Anne Rubin, 20, a New York University junior who uses Google’s search, Gmail and Blogger services, says quality overrides any privacy concerns, and she doesn’t mind that profiles are built on her in order to make the ads she sees more relevant.

“I see it as a tradeoff. They give services for free,” she said. “I have a vague assumption that things I do (online) aren’t entirely private. It doesn’t faze me.”

Larry Ponemon, a privacy adviser, says research by his Ponemon Institute found Google consistently getting high marks for trust.

By contrast, Microsoft, whose software sometimes crashes and regularly gets violated by hackers, didn’t fare as well despite what Ponemon and others acknowledge are improvements in its approach to privacy.

“People confuse customer service with obligations to maintain privacy,” Ponemon said. “Google has a product that seems to work. It gets almost like a free ride on privacy.”

That’s changing.

Google, a perennially secretive company, may share some of the blame. It goes out of its way to strip its privacy statements of legalese so they are easier to read. But the statements remain vague on how long the company keeps data.

In an interview, Wong said Google had no set time limits on data retention; such determinations are left to individual product teams. She said the information helps Google know how well it is doing — for instance, are users getting the results they want in the first five, 10 or 100 hits?

“We keep data that’s collected from our services for as long as we think it’s useful,” she said.

Google says it releases data when required by law, but its privacy statements offer few details. Wong said Google doesn’t surrender data without a subpoena, court order or warrant. But she would not offer any details on how many requests it gets, or how often, and federal law bars Google from disclosing requests related to national security.

For civil lawsuits, Wong said, Google warns users before it complies so they can file objections with a court — a fact the company doesn’t publicize.

Mark Rasch, who was a Justice Department prosecutor in the 1980s and has since advised companies on getting data from Internet companies, says electronic records will only become more relevant for investigators searching for evidence of intent and knowledge.

“As Google becomes more involved in parts of your lives including chats and blog, then it’s going to get lots more subpoenas,” he said. “It’s a lot more than just a search tool.”

MORE FROM SECURITY

Security Section Front

Framed for child porn — by a PC virus In China, battles over a new wall Spain: Internet-related child porn on the rise Google providing better view of personal data EU agrees on new Internet user rights Red Tape: ‘Fakeosphere’ ads target consumers Internet censorship limits could be set by WTO Cubans say Craigslist-like site is blocked Security center opens to battle computer attacks Reports: N. Korea behind cyberattacks on U.S. Security Section Front   Add Security headlines to your news reader: