EFF's Six Tips for Consumers... what's the subtext?

TechWeb's Intelligent Enterprise site posted an announcement of EFF's publication of "six tips for consumers who would prefer to remain as anonymous as possible when using search engines." These include "tips" which made my head spin. They are

• Don't search for your own name, address, or other personally identifying information;
• Don't use your ISP's search engine, since the company can link a person's identity to his searches;
• Avoid logging in to a search engine or its related tools;
• Block cookies from search engines;
• Broadband users should turn off their modems at least once a day to change the IP addresses their ISPs automatically assign to computers each time subscribers log on;
• Use anonymizing software

I can't imagine using the web without logging into a search engine and using the added value tools. I've long ago decided that the cost of monitoring the installation of each cookie is not worth it. Turning them off is simply not reasonable. And... turning off my broadband modem in order to force a new IP assignment ? Not a chance.

About this time, I decided to check out the EFF's article, and (no big surprise) saw that they were making use of the AOL foul-up in August as the basis for this article and the specific recommendations. What this article also offers is an opportunity for EFF to lobby search companies to limit data retention as well as to call for Congressional action. All good in the abstract, though I'd have to take issue with the use of data retention (or, rather, data destruction) policies as the answer.

The EFF's advice comes with a rather open editorial point of view regarding "the government" and individual rights. It shows up in the third paragraph: "Unfortunately, it may be all too easy for the government or individual litigants to subpoena your search provider and get access to your search history." So, as far as the EFF's concerned, the right approach is to have the search firms throw the data away, prevent them from obtaining it in the first place, or... what? This is over the top.

EFF: Six Tips to Protect Your Online Search Privacy

... Disclosures like AOL's are not the only threats to your privacy. Unfortunately, it may be all too easy for the government or individual litigants to subpoena your search provider and get access to your search history. For example, in January 2006, Yahoo!, AOL, and Microsoft reportedly cooperated with a broad Justice Department request for millions of search records. Although Google successfully challenged this request,3 the lack of clarity in current law leaves your online privacy at risk.

Search companies should limit data retention and make their logging practices more transparent to the public,5 while Congress ought to clarify and strengthen privacy protections for search data. But you should also take matters into your own hands and adopt habits that will help protect your privacy.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has developed the following search privacy tips. They range from straightforward steps that offer a little protection to more complicated measures that offer near-complete safety. While we strongly urge users to follow all six tips, a lesser level of protection might be sufficient depending on your particular situation and willingness to accept risks to your privacy.
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Technorati Tags: Data Protection, Personal Identifying Information, Security