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This will go down on your permanent record...and be searchable online

Google and the state of Florida partner to make public records searchable.

Emily Shurr
Emily Shurr is CNET News.com general-assignment news producer.
Emily Shurr

In an unsurprising but perhaps disturbing move, search giant Google is partnering with state governments to index public records. According to Associated Press, you can already find some online, but you have to go through each state's government Web sites to locate a particular piece of information.

Google's mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." But public records are available that some people would prefer not to disclose with the casual click of a mouse--for instance, who they used to be married to, or what they got arrested for in their misspent youth.

Do you trust neighbors, co-workers, corporations, thieves, and stalkers to use the information wisely and to your advantage?

Read the full AP story on MSNBC: "Google to dig up more personal records".