Google Grudgingly Cuts User Data Retention

Google's being pressured into cutting the length of time it stores search data, saying it will ditch it after nine months instead of 18, reports The Associated Press in a story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

It cut the retention period from 24 months to 18 last year. The company also said it's tweaking its "Suggest" feature to erase search terms after just 24 hours.

The company is trying to appease European regulators and privacy advocates, and now touts its retention policy as leading the market.

According to this Google blog, though, it admits the company's not happy about making the change, notes the Silicon Alley Insider, and says it could hurt its security, quality and innovation.

And in hopes of boosting the allure of its search engine, Google will offer digital archives for any newspaper willing to make the content available for free. The newspapers will receive a cut of advertising displayed next to the search results, reports The Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle, which will be among the participating newspapers.