Google announced a change to its privacy practices for logging user information. They plan to anonymize their server logs after a limited period of time. After implementing this change within a year’s time, user data will be made much more anonymous after eighteen to twenty-four months from collection. However, lawmakers in the U.S. or Europe could require Google to keep original data for longer period of time.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has managed to convince Michael Crook to stop filing bogus DMCA claims against websites carrying a picture of him that appeared on Fox News. A settlement of the EFF lawsuit requires him to withdraw his complaints, take a copyright law course, and apologize for interfering with the free speech rights of those he targeted.
Wired News will put the phrase, “We are the media,” to the test as it launches its Assignment Zero project. The project will run for two to three months, and offers any willing contributor a chance at being a reporter or editor. Results of the project will be published at NewAssignment.net and Wired. If it works, it would show that a widely separated group of people can report completely and well on news issues.
The next generation of search will be improved for people as it becomes more personalized. Google’s Matt Cutts told Read/Write Web that “personalization has a very high chance of being able to improve search for the average user.” Matt also talked about web spam, and said being able to offer spam free search in any language has been a big trend for Google both last year and this year.
