A reader asked me:
Does Google keep logs of searches correlated with IP address or
other personally identifiable information for users who have not
logged in?
I knew it kept parts of this data, but was not sure. So I pinged Google PR, which checked in for me (thanks!). The response was to quote Google’s privacy FAQ:
Like most Web sites, our servers automatically record the page
requests made when users visit our sites. These “server logs”
typically include your web request, Internet Protocol address, browser
type, browser language, the date and time of your request and one or
more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser.
In other words, yes, Google does record this data. But, does it KEEP that data, I asked? The answer:
Yes, we do.
It’s simple to stop this, of course, just set your browser to not accept cookies. But if you do, you lose out on the services that cookies enable. I for one keep my cookies intact. But know that yes, your data is kept by Google and yes, your searches can be correlated to IP data.