User:Abigailholbertpsu/sandbox



Search engines are used on a daily basis and there are millions of users around the world using one of the many types of search engines. Because of the increase in users using search engines and the rise in search engine optimization and functionalities similar to Google Custom Search, there is also an increase in concern about privacy about user’s personal information and the privacy of searches as search engines collect more data to use in personal search settings and advertisements. Based on a Pew Research Center study, many Americans do not feel confident that their personal data will be private.

How do SEO Collect Information
Search engines record personal information using either a http cookie or by recording your IP address or both. This creates a personal profile for the person searching and from that point forward keywords searched, date and time of query, links clicked on, location and overall search history is stored. The goal is to provide users what they actually want to see and reduce the overall search time. In mobile search apps, this could also include less typing and scrolling and fewer results on a page. The cookie information is used to monitor search patterns and search locations to determine what type of advertisements the customer would be the most susceptible to. Search engines collect a variety of information and one of the items is Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and Global Positioning System (GPS) location data, obtained can be used for tracking purpose. Cookies are disguised under other formats, including the “Like” button on social media, WordPress to track who comments and Google Analytics and YouTube embedded cookies that users may be unaware of. This presents privacy issues related to tracking of individual people, potential for malicious attacks or identity theft and the ability of users to opt out.

Privacy Concerns

 * Advertising: Some of the data collected is specifically used for advertising purposes. Search engines use it to determine what kind of products would a user buys and what kind of services they are willing to pay for using search history, links click and the cookie data discussed in the previous paragraph.  The goal is to make ads more effective and increase the number of clicks and therefore the revenue based on the pay-per-click method.


 * Malicious Attack: Personal information found on search engines can be used for identity theft or malicious attacks. Full name, home address, phone number, email address, place of work and mother’s maiden name can all be found through search engines.  Based on a 1998 study by the Federal Trade Commission, only 2% of website at that time had a policy and shared that with customers. As websites capture data, some of it can be made public and accessible through search engine


 * Lack of Opt-Out: When opening a search engine, there is not a popup or other clear method of communication.  After reviewing Google’s privacy policies, there are options, if a user looks for them, to limit the history that is saved, determine what kind of functions Google can track and what information can appear as part of your public profile. There is a Privacy Checkup that will guide users through the privacy setting available. Microsoft also has a privacy statement that explains what they collect any why.   Users can clear their browser history, search history and location history under the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. There is not an option to opt out completely, so users would have to routinely go into the dashboard and delete history.  Both companies share data with their affiliates to support advertising and a more personalized experience.  The issue of privacy policies, consent and distribution of data to third parties presents several more detail issues and responses below.   This data was derived from a survey on online retail sites; however, it is similar to the issues that have been identified with Microsoft and Google search engines.

Retention Period
Companies used to be able to retain personal data obtained from IP address or cookie data for an indefinite amount of time and in some cases, years. The retention period have since been reduced and Google retains a portion of the IP for 18 months and all other personal data for nine months; Yahoo does not retain the IP address and retains other personal data for 90 days and Microsoft does not retain IP address and retains other personal data for only 6 months.