AOL user identified
p2pnet.net News:- “Although there was no personally-identifiable data linked to these accounts, we’re absolutely not defending this.”
The quote came from AOL’s Andrew Weinstein, yesterday, in reference to the company’s, “innocent-enough attempt to reach out to the academic community with new research tools”.
Innocent it may have been, but it meant more half-a-million user search records appeared in full view online and Weinstein’s assurance that there was “no personally-identifiable data linked to these accounts,” notwithstanding, The New York Times still managed to identify user No. 4417749.
“The number was assigned by the company to protect the searcher’s anonymity,” but it wasn’t effective, says the story.
Behind No. 4417749 – but not far behind – is Thelma Arnold, a 62-year-old Georgia widow who, “frequently researches her friends’ medical ailments and loves her three dogs”.
And she was, “shocked” to learn AOL had saved and published three months’ worth of her searches.
“My goodness, it’s my whole personal life,” The New York Times has her saying. “I had no idea somebody was looking over my shoulder.”
The story also has Weinstein saying he knew of no other cases thus far where users had been identified as a result of the search data, but he wasn’t surprised and:
“We acknowledged that there was information that could potentially lead to people being identified, which is why we were so angry.”
Also See:
innocent-enough – AOL data release debacle , August 8, 2006
The New York Times – A Face Is Exposed for AOL Searcher No. 4417749, August 9, 2006
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August 9th, 2006 at 11:13 pm
If AOL can do this “by ‘accident’ ” and at LEAST one [TOO MANY] number could be turned into a name, then what safety is there for the same type of info saved by other ISPs? The ‘gov’ has overstepped its bounds by requiring ISPs to keep this type of data in the first place! It’s these types of draconian laws that we ALL should be affraid of…very affraid of! What is it going to take to get the word out to people in terms that they WILL understand? What is it going to take for people to combat these types of Constution SHREDDING laws? Civil War…AGAIN?!?!?
August 10th, 2006 at 2:20 am
but they have a privacy policy which is supposed to give me some kind protection against this kind of bullshit.
Anyone who can be identified from this leak should be seriously looking at a class action against AOL.