The search engine, Ask.com, formerly known as Ask Jeeves, has a new tool that allows searchers to erase their own search history, to ensure their past queries won’t catch up and bite them in the Ask.

The tool, AskEraser, allows you to easily erase your search history and change your privacy settings. Once activated, your privacy settings will be displayed on Ask.com’s search result pages, allowing you to view your current settings at any time.

“AskEraser is a great solution for those looking for an additional level of privacy when they search online,” said Jim Lanzone, CEO of Ask.com. “Anonymous user data can be very useful to enhance search products for all users, and we’re committed to being open and transparent about how such information is used. But we also understand that there are some who are interested in new tools that will help protect their privacy further, and we will give them that control on Ask.com.”

AskEraser makes Ask.com the only major search engine to give users complete control over their privacy. AskEraser will be initially started on Ask.com in the U.S. and U.K. by the end of the year.

“We’re extremely pleased to see a new breed of innovative, competitive tools that allow users greater control over their personal information and online experiences,” said CDT Deputy Director Ari Schwartz. “With today’s announcement, Ask.com has taken an important step toward giving Internet users choice in how they control sensitive information about their online activities.”

In addition to the AskEraser, Ask.com will also be implementing a new plan to disassociate search history from its users IP address’ and cookie information after 18 months.

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Entry was posted on Thursday, July 19th, 2007 at 4:58 pm under Internet.

Read more entries by George Gardner.
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