Ask.com’s ‘eraser’ purges search requests (hoping to be Internet’s least intrusive search engine)

Ask.com’s ‘eraser’ purges search requests
Company hopes to earn a rep as the Internet’s least intrusive search engine

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22189375/

By Michael Liedtke
updated 1 hour, 30 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO - Hoping to establish itself as the Internet’s least intrusive search engine, Ask.com is empowering people to prevent their search requests from being deposited in data banks.

The new privacy control, called “AskEraser,” is scheduled to be unveiled Tuesday. When it’s turned on, the safeguard purges a user’s search requests from Ask.com’s computers within a few hours.

Industry leader Google Inc. stores personal information for 18 months, as does Microsoft Corp.’s search engine. Yahoo Inc. and Time Warner Inc.’s AOL retain search requests for 13 months.

The feature follows through on a pledge that Oakland-based Ask.com made five months ago as it tried to seize the high ground in an escalating debate about how long search engines and other Web sites should hold on to personal information about their users.

I'm taking a deep breath and going Googless!

retrived her google searches and found all of the elements of her crime had been googled. I understand, what a maroon, but it is something to think about.

So why not switch?

will purge a user’s search requests from Ask.com’s computers within a few hours. (!)

What a good idea! Maybe competing search engines will take notice and offer something similar.