A new search engine? Just Ask

Hoping to establish itself as the Internet’s least intrusive search engine, Ask.com is empowering people to prevent their search requests from being recorded inside data banks.

The new privacy control, called “AskEraser,” was released last week. When turned on, the safeguard purges a user’s search requests from Ask.com’s computers within a few hours.

Google Inc. stores personal information for 18 months, as does Microsoft Corp.’s Live Search engine. Yahoo Inc. and Time Warner Inc.’s AOL retain search requests for 13 months.

“We definitely want to stand out from the other guys,” said Doug Leeds, Ask.com’s senior vice president of product management. “This level of control is unprecedented and unmatched.”

Because Ask relies on Google to deliver many of the text-based ad links on its pages, Leeds said some information about search requests and clicks will still end up on Google’s computers even when AskEraser is turned on.

Ask.com, which is owned by InterActiveCorp, is counting on its privacy commitment to lure more traffic to its site. Among other things, details about search requests help customize online ads aimed at each user’s perceived interests — a practice that’s drawing more attention from regulators, lawmakers and privacy rights watchdogs.

Google and its chief rivals say they need to log search requests for more than a year to understand their users’ preferences and deliver meaningful results as well as target ads.

Leeds said Ask.com isn’t worried about the tougher privacy controls undermining the quality of its search results.

Maintaining lists of search requests also is supposed to help combat so-called “click fraud” — a tactic that can saddle advertisers with bogus charges for advertising if not detected.