Katie Hafner at the Times has a good overview of the fears people have over the government getting access to search engine records. She's entirely right. The Web is such a close extension of your mind (at least for those that use it all the time) that government eavesdropping is an act that causes fear and doubt. This isn't entirely unfounded. We live in a country that can eavesdrop on you without a warrant, snatch you off the street without a formal arrest, and torture you without limit (particularly if they whisk you off to a third party nation).   [John Robb's Weblog]