MikaelTC - 1:46 am on Mar 1, 2006 (gmt 0)

From Google privacy policy (which took some digging to find, by the way):

Google only shares personal information with other companies or individuals outside of Google in the following limited circumstances:

* We have your consent. We require opt-in consent for the sharing of any sensitive personal information.
* We provide such information to our subsidiaries, affiliated companies or other trusted businesses or persons for the purpose of processing personal information on our behalf. We require that these parties agree to process such information based on our instructions and in compliance with this Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
* We have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, (b) enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations thereof, (c) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or (d) protect against imminent harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, its users or the public as required or permitted by law.

Emphasis mine.

Google et al. are businesses and they "own" the data they collect. I think the problem lies with the fact that many computer users feel that because they are sitting alone in their room that their information is "secret." It isn't. Data passes over privatly owned data cables, to privatly owned servers, which pass the packets on to other privatly owned servers. Unless you are using a known secure line, your data is as secret as the ebbing and flowing of the tides.

Generally it isn't a good idea for compaies to share the data, they'd lose their customers. But let me play devil's advocate for a moment. What if someone came into my house and said "I'm going to blow up a certain thing at a certain time in conjunction with a certain group or ideology" (I'm being vague here, but assume that the person is not). Should keep that information secret, "for the privacy of my guests (users)?" Try to think of this from the perspective of Google, and the government agents who are trying to keep us safe (even if you feel dirty doing it, the excercise helps, I promise).

I haven't read all the details on the case, so I may be missing some critical piece of information, but I would argue that SEs sharing personal information with the government is within their rights and responsibilities as private organizations, which they need to carefully weigh against the buisness reality that their customers don't like their personal data being shared. I do not believe that this perspective equates to giving up a critical piece of liberty for temporary security (in the event that anyone is thinking about the previous quote).