“Has Google released search-related information to any branch of the government, or government subcontractors?”

Wrong question. Has Google shared any of their proprietary algorithms with the government so that the NSA can make better use of the data they’ve already collected and stored?

To me, the updated answer from google is “yes,” flavored with the traditional pr ‘turnaround’ and ‘spin’ of providing irrelevant statements comparing products/services provided to the commercial sector vs. what we’re really asking, about which google does not ‘discuss publicly.’

Have you read an old, hard-to-find book called Privacy and Freedom? If you have time, check it out.

while many are quick to dismiss it as trivial and rumor-mongering, anyone familiar with the history of the CIA knows that this could turn very, very ugly and that the CIA has a long history of using private corporations to accomplish its objectives (often to get stuff done that they don’t want to get caught doing — see ex-CIA officer victor marchetti’s book the CIA and the cult of intelligence for a detailed account of such activities).

i find it a bit worrisome that google has not commented about this at all directly on any of their countless blogs — isn’t that what blogs are for? so that they can communicate directly with their audience rather than communicating through you? commenting through you will raise some eyebrows because it allows them to blame you if in fact they are lying (just as the CIA can blame google if they ever get caught, i.e. plausible deniability).

anyway, thanks again for your ongoing coverage, i hope if you come across more info you will continue to share.