Microsoft, Ask join forces to beat up Google

IN A BARELY disguised attempt to show they're holier than the Great Whited Sepulchre Google, Ask and Microsoft have "called on the industry" to beef up search engine privacy controls.

Ask (formerly known as Jeeves) and the Vole (formerly known as Microsoft) are appealing to other technology leaders, academics and freedom seeking individuals to work in the development of "global privacy principles for data collection, use and protection related to searching and online advertising."

Microsoft has even got its own chief privacy strategist called Peter Cullen who said it's important that customers can trust their information is being used appropriately.

Microsoft is obviously concerned lest the dominant player in this section achieves a near monopoly on search and dictates conditions to other, minority players, like itself and Ask.

No doubt Google Two Shoes is viewing these moves with a degree of smugness. If there was a prize for IT smugness, Google Two Shoes would undoubtedly win that hands down. µ