In the wake of potential spies watching your every move, the union that represents German journalists recommended that their journalists no longer use the powerful search engine, Google. The same goes with the search box on Yahoo!
This latest move by the German union is part of the domino effect of the feeling of insecurity after former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden leaked information about the NSA (National Security Agency). Google is outraged by the NSA spying and has called for "urgent reform."
Michael Konken is the head of the union of journalists in Germany. He says "The searches made by journalists are just as confidential as the contact details of their sources and the contents of their communication with them." In other words, he believes that privacy is being invaded and journalists are no longer protected.
This move would affect German journalists greatly because the search engine is a great way to find sources, fact check, and find story ideas. The concern to protect privacy is legitimate and understandable, but would the quality of work be hurt by not using Google? It will be interesting to see if sacrificing Google is worth the potential downside effects of effective reporting.