Monday, Microsoft announced they would be willing to grant a European privacy panel’s request to reduce the amount of time it kept records concerning Web searches, but only if rivals Yahoo and Google agreed to abide by the rule, as well.

Still, the two Internet giants have stated that they would not change their policies with regards to search data retention for a while.

Microsoft offered to alter the length of time it retained information on queries in a letter to the Article 29 Working Party, which is an European Commission advisory panel comprising data protection commissioners from every state member of the European Union.

Back in April, the panel recommended that records on search data be kept for a maximum period of six months, after which the information was to become impossible to trace.

For the time being, Microsoft’s MSN Live Search has a retention period that spreads over 18 months, while Yahoo keeps data for 13 months, whereas Google for only 9 months.

Although the advisory panel had been previously scheduled to assemble on Tuesday and Wednesday, its members have resolved to delay their meeting during which they are to make a decision concerning what actions, if any, to take against the companies until February, when Microsoft, Yahoo and Google are set to deliver presentations before the panel.

Lawyer for Microsoft John Vassallo informed that even though the company was willing to reduce search data retention accordingly to the panel’s request, it refused to do so alone, since that would create a commercial disadvantage for the corporation.