AOL apologizes for releasing users search habit online.

[froggyboy604]

Aol apologizes for releasing lots of Data on User search habits on to the internet.

Randomly selected search data, from 658,000 subscribers, was intended for use on the recently launched AOL Research site.

AOL said that this was a "screw-up, and it was "angry and upset about it".

AOL is certain that there was no personally identifiable data as it had changed the user names to numbers. However some blogs have pointed out that it is theoretically possible for someone to identify themselves from their searches.

What some user search for:
"how to kill your wife"
Another search detail published included "how to tell your family you're a victim of incest,"
"casey middle school,"
"surgical help for depression,"
"can you adopt after a suicide attempt,"
"Fishman David Dr - 2.6 miles NE - 160 E 34th St, New York, 10016 - (212) 731-5345,"
"gynecology oncologists in new york city," and
"how long will the swelling last after my tummy tuck".

S: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33534

People who searched for Porn, private problems: "surgical help for depression," , illegal drugs or other illegal things on AOL would probably be mad at AOL for posting info about their search habbits on the web since the government might be out to get them now, or someone who has a grudge against them can use their search habit data to blackmail them or ruin their reputation. Plus, if someone who is a vigilante (ppl who take the law into their own hands like spiderman) figures out who search for those illegal activities ex: "how to kill your wife". I bet the searcher would have a few vigilantes trying to beat him up for searching for "how to kill your wife" thinking he was actually going to kill his wife cuz he searched for it on aol.

[babydorkee]

wowoerz

[SetoTK]

whats wrong with killing your wife? it's legal in some countries

i dislike wives in general they tend to have husbands who are often bigger than me if not richer and can hire people bigger than me


but hey would we expect any more from AOL than this?
aol are morons, and have no damned idea wtf there doing, they should of verified all personally identifiable information was not included in there publishing, like ffs a street address with name, hello fraudsters

[froggyboy604]

I wonder if anyone phoned the telephone number listed in aol report to see who's phone number's it really is. I be mad if my phone number be punlish on the internet since so many ppl can call me now.


"Fishman David Dr - 2.6 miles NE - 160 E 34th St, New York, 10016 - (212) 731-5345,"

[SetoTK]

it's probably a quacks, but hey hope it's a home number just think thousand of random globalians phoning damn that would be funny for a praink caller