Questioning Google's Privacy Reform

JagsLive makes note of a story questioning whether Google's recent commitment to anonymize IP logs faster is really as good as it sounds. We discussed their announcement a few days ago. CNet's Chris Soghoian takes a closer look: "While the company hasn't said how it de-identifies the cookies, it has revealed in public statements that its IP anonymization technique consists of chopping off the last 8 bits of a user's IP address. As an example, an IP address of a home user could be 173.192.103.121. After 18 months, Google chops this down to 173.192.103.XXX. Since each octet (the numbers between each period of an IP) can contain values from 1-255, Google's anonymization technique allows a user, at most, to hide among 254 other computers. ... Google has now revealed that it will change "some" of the bits of the IP address after 9 months, but less than the eight bits that it masks after the full 18 months. Thus, instead of Google's customers being able to hide among 254 other Internet users, perhaps they'll be able to hide among 64, or 127 other possible IP addresses. By itself, this is a laughable level of anonymity. However, it gets worse."

What have you done with Slashdot?

[bigtallmofo]

OK, I thought it was strange that there was an "Apple is Evil" story about sneakers earlier today. But now there's a "Google may be evil" story! What's next? A story about how "SCO was right about Linux all along"?

Re:What have you done with Slashdot?

[CaptainPatent]

Shhhh! don't make them hunt the 256 of you down!

Re:What have you done with Slashdot?

[bigtallmofo]

Shhhh! don't make them hunt the 256 of you down!

Oh crap! I'm screwed then because I own my entire Class-C netblock! Stupid sexy last octet....

Re:Minor correction

[Anonymous Coward]

Fail.

Re:Hide

[Anti_Climax]

If you're using google services from IPv6, it's even easier to figure out who you are.

I mean, it's either you or the other guy...

Re:Well

[Silas is back]

Subpoenaing logs for IP 123.456.789 from Google is not the same as getting logs from icanhascheezburger.

I'm not sure whether you're qualified to talk about IPs giving this example IP.

Re:It only gets worse

[nog_lorp]

How are these "revelations"? A massive web-app provider HAS LOGS? No way! They might even do analysis of them for RESEARCH PURPOSES? How dare they! And if they are legally required to disclose them, THEY DO? The evil of it!

Re:Well

[dw604]

12.34.56.78

Re:Well

[Hal_Porter]

That guy is a hacker and terrorist. DDOS him now.