Heads Roll At AOL Over Search Data Leak
from the sacked dept
In the wake of its release of search data from half a million users, AOL's chief technology officer has left the company (the WSJ reports she was fired, Reuters says she resigned) and the manager and researcher overseeing the search data have been fired. It's sort of funny: for the government and other companies that manage to leak personal information that could be used for identity theft, paying for a year of credit monitoring -- which may not be that helpful -- is about the extent of their response. But AOL, whose release of data really wasn't too damaging, beyond the dent its reputation took, has gone so far as to force out those reponsible for the mistake. If nothing else, the company has shown its employees that it takes users' privacy seriously -- something so many other companies that leak more dangerous data don't really seem to do.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Leak wasn't that bad
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
It sucks...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The decline of AOL continues
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Others at fault, as well.
What about the Bank of America data breach in 2005? That was over a year ago, yet we keep seeing similar instances.
We entrust AOL, Amazon.com, and Bank of America among many others with our business and personal information. They have a duty to do whatever it takes in order to secure this data.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Titanic sunk because of a leak? Hows about AOL?
In the frist example, it was 26.5 million person data base at V.A. wherein an entire GVT file was stolen!!!
Weeks later it happened again with VA data in the hands od a "contractor".
But today? Today its AOL!!!
AOL mind you whom I have AOL Security Edition 9.0, spyware,adware, virus scan, and computer check, computer scan, all to prevent what AOL did intentionaly? Released my information and the searches I di as a matter of routine because I work for an International Security Company and I am very concerned that my and my families and my friends identities are secure?
calls to AOL go to proffessional apologists who deny it ever happend then admit when you tell thenm you know better and then they pooh poooh the whole thing by saying it was an accident? fer christ sake an accident?
It was an intentional releas of half a million subscribers activities and it was unvetted and unedited and was manifestly compromised!
Mz Govern the CTO is a dumb assed mental midget whose reckless conduct endangers me and mine in a time of WAR!!!
To quote Bill Murray on saturday Night live?
You dumb ignorant slut!!
Slut to your corporate ego that did such a thing.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Get the data here
http://mysite.verizon.net/laurin99/aol.htm
[ link to this | view in chronology ]