Google Wins “Kudos” for Fighting Demand for Millions of Search Records

Google was praised, and its competitors chastised, when in 2005 the company challenged a subpoena from the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) that demanded every single search query the company had received over a two-month period. Google emerged the victor, with the court holding that the government was only entitled to a limited data set including no personal information. By standing up for privacy, Google reaped a bonanza of positive public and media attention including favorable comparisons with competitors who “meekly complied” with similar demands.