Google book search attacked by privacy defenders

More issues have been raised regarding Google’s plans to scan and publish thousands of books in an effort to create the world’s first comprehensive online book search.

In an open letter to Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Samuelson Clinic at the University of California Berkeley have asked for Google to commit to protecting Book Search information from disclosure.

“Under its current design, Google Book Search keeps track of what books readers search for and browse, what books they read, and even what they ‘write’ down in the margins,” the letter states.

“Given the long and troubling history of government and third-party efforts to compel libraries and booksellers to turn over records about readers, it is essential that Google Books incorporates strong privacy protections in both the architecture and policies of Google Book Search. Without these, Google Books could become a one-stop shop for government and civil litigant fishing expeditions into the private lives of Americans.”

Dan Clancy, engineering director at Google Books, has responded in his own blog post, saying the company cares about privacy issues.

“While we know that our eventual product will build in privacy protections – like always giving users clear information about privacy, and choices about what if any data they share when they use our services – we don’t yet know exactly how this all will work,” said Clancy.

“We do know that whatever we ultimately build will protect readers’ privacy rights, upholding the standards set long ago by booksellers and by the libraries whose collections are being opened to the public through this settlement.”