Google, White House seek log files

A scenario long feared by privacy advocates over Google's voluminous storage of millions of pieces of information on user searches arose as Department of Justice lawyers asked a federal court to compel Google's cooperation with their requests.

The federal government has been trying to revive the Child Online Protection Act, struck down by the Supreme Court in 2004, and wants information from Google's databases as DOJ lawyers prepare for a return to federal court in Pennsylvania to defend COPA's constitutionality. Mercury News reported on the filing against Google in US District Court in San Jose.

Google has not complied with a year-old subpoena that asked for "one million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period." Google refused the request, citing privacy concerns and the exposure of Google trade secrets in fulfilling the request.

"Google is not a party to this lawsuit, and the demand for the information is overreaching," Nicole Wong, an associate general counsel for Google, said in the article as she referred to the DOJ action in Pennsylvania. Google plans to defends itself "vigorously" against the lawsuit.