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\"absurd for Google to claim that stripping out the last two figures from the stored IP address made the address impossible to identify by making it one of 256 possible configurations\"
Of course it's absurd the last number can only be out of 254 \"configurations\".
And that only is true if by \"last two figures\" they mean the last number. If they mean the last two numbers that bumps the possible \"configuration\" count up to 64,770.
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Actually, I think it's even slightly less then 256. In a class C IP block, all addresses share the first 3 octets, mike only the last octet unique. I am assuming that they are stripping away the last 2 DIGITS for example 192.168.100.1XX.
Some of these addresses however are invlaid such as .0 and multicast making the total combination 254. A piddling distinction I know but if this is correct it is very likely that eventually you will be able to be identified. That is if you had a static IP address for a long period of time.
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god, this makes me wish that in the u.s., 1) we had intellectuals working in gov't & 2) we actually listened to their recommendations.
@mac-phisto: We do, they're trying to figure out how to start a war with iran when iran has done pretty much nothing wrong and for a long time was our biggest supporter in that region of the world sans isreal.
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Obviously though the utility of using an IP address an identifier has to do with the strength it can be associated with one person and their personal habits.
Somehow I just think it may be better to make it anonymous or random and remove the correlation between specific IP addresses and people.
Google's privacy \"efforts\" are crap. They have no need to tie IP to personal data after 5 seconds let alone 18 months.
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If the EU wants to consider IP addresses information that people shouldn't store and analyze, then they should provide a free proxy for anyone who wants to \"opt out\" of IP address information storing.
@Adam Rock: or they could just fine the hell out of anyone that doesn't comply with their rules. i like that idea better.
Down with the Google-opoly!!!!!!!!
There's no good reason on earth for a company to store 30 year tracking cookies! Even two years is bad unless the user fully gives consent ... and gets a cut of the action.