"Your IP address is personal"

Germany's Data Protection Commissioner believes so. I can see the sentiment, but IP addresses are shared across hundreds of users in most companies and most ISPs - so tough to call them "personal". Of course, combined with cookie and search word information you can personalize the source a lot more, but even then it is not permanent or personal as a social security number.

I can see some murky interpretations and regulations emerging.

Update:  Feb 22 Google argues my point