During a recent panel discussion, Jennifer Mardosz, Qwest's (Q) chief privacy officer and corporate counsel, told the audience she was skeptical of congressional mandates laying out requirements for data retention. She argued that there was no need for legislative interference because "companies were already doing the right thing." Google (GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt also addressed the privacy issue at another conference this month, noting that he was more afraid of government (U.S. or other) trying to get access to Google's data than an accidental release of confidential customer information. When asked why Google doesn't purge their search information, Schmidt replied that they didn't need to because security protections would make it difficult, if not impossible, to steal customer data.

Several other major companies have said something similar whenever the subject of confidential data comes up. The "right thing" that most of them are doing to protect our privacy is to trust their own security while retaining their options

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