Yet Google is capitalizing on the privacy hysteria in order to avoid setting the precedent of releasing internal information to the government. In doing so, it has put Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo -- all of which did the right thing by complying with the government's subpoena -- in the awkward and unfair position of having to defend themselves against unwarranted accusations of privacy breaches. If anyone should be bent out of shape, it's them.

The outrage stemming from last week's Google news was misplaced. That, in the end, is what's truly outrageous.