Google Urged To Let Personal Data Fade Away

jee4all writes with this excerpt from E-week: "Researchers say personal information should 'degrade' — becoming less specific over time — to protect users' privacy. Rather than amassing personal data and holding on to it as long as legally possible, companies such as Google should allow the data to degrade over time, according to researchers. In an interview with the BBC this week, Dutch researcher Harold van Heerde discussed his work on the idea of allowing data to becomes less specific over time. Letting the specifics gradually disappear could protect consumer privacy while also meeting the needs of service providers, he said."

Fade away?

[ak_hepcat]

I always heard it was better to burn out...

Re:Fade away?

[WrongSizeGlass]

I'm degrading over time so why not my personal data?

Sorta Like This?

[The Wild Norseman]

Dutch researcher Harold van Heerde discussed his work on the idea of allowing data to becomes less specific over time. Letting the specifics gradually disappear could protect consumer privacy while also meeting the needs of service providers

Sorta like me, for example?

The Wild Norseman -->

A Norseman -->

Some Guy -->

A Person, Place or Thing -->

A Nobody -->

Anonymous Coward

Re:Instead, we can grow up

[by (1706743)]

Indeed; when the generation which grew up on myspace and facebook produces "important" people (e.g., congresspeople, senators) it's likely that the only candidates with no dirt on them are the ones who were socially inept in their college days.

Come to think of it, that might give the /. crowd something of an edge...

Re:In related news

[sortius_nod]

I don't think it's healthy to feed ducks cake...

Re:In related news

[TheRaven64]

Wildly off topic here, but if you want something entertaining, throw an entire slice of bread (or, better, pitta bread) to the ducks. One of them will grab it whole and then swim away as fast as it can from the others. As it does, the bread will drag in the water and bits will drop off. Most of the bread goes to the ducks following it. It's entertaining to watch, and is probably a metaphor for the music industry or something.