Google Now Wants All YOUR Personal Information

[ASmith]

Google Wants All Your Personal Information, Promises To Use It For “Cool Things” Users can't opt out of privacy changes http://gawker.com/5879050/google-wants-all-your-personal-information-promises-to-use-it-for-cool-things

Beginning March 1st., Google will merge nearly all of 70 of it's multiple privacy policies into a single 'master policy'. Google users cannot opt-out of the new Google privacy changes.

Washington Post's Business Section has put together a frequently asked questions (FAQs) brief on users outraged over Google's New (lack of) Privacy Policy here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/faq-googles-new-privacy-policy/2012/01/24/gIQArw8GOQ_story.html

In my opinion it goes without saying that no warrant requests to Googles management staff for IP address's or Google users reams of Google collected data by a US or other Foreign Gov. agency is entirely likely to be handed over and provided.

What apparently dot's the eye's on this newest scheme by Google is tieing in it's Search Engine's Users with Gmail, Google Plus etc. account named users. Not being rolled up into that constricting bundle, cleaning out any 'Google Cookies' and/or setting up a whitelist specifically to use a Proxy when accessing or using the Google.com search engine is a partial possible answer as this personal privacy invasive Google policy is sorted out.

In the end however it is entirely likely the end users of Google services will make or break this harsh collection of Google users personal and Internet information and habits. IF a mass number switch away to hum-dum Bing etc. that would certainly send a message to the gigantic Google staff their new (lack of) privacy policy is a bridge too far.

Yes, I realise Google search endorsements have supplemented various Linux distros which include Google's Search Engine as it's defaults. I am however simply reporting and discussing the present and future ramifications of this new Google privacy policy on it's end users.

Further References:

Google's New Privacy Policy: Why You Should Care http://www.pcworld.com/article/248715/googles_new_privacy_policy_why_you_should_care.html

How Will Google’s New Privacy Policy Affect You? http://gizmodo.com/5879163/how-will-googles-new-privacy-policy-affect-you/

Google's New Privacy Policy Will Allow Tracking Across Services http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/25/145830858/googles-new-privacy-policy-will-allow-tracking-across-services

Here's The Crucial Part Of Google's New Privacy Policy That Has Advertisers Drooling http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-the-crucial-part-of-googles-new-privacy-policy-that-has-advertisers-salivating-2012-1

For those who wish to opt out of Google entirely,this article discusses that decision. http://gizmodo.com/5879015/how-to-escape-from-googles-clutches-once-and-for-all

[tdockery97]

Sorry, but I for one do not believe that Google is evil. They are, however, in the advertising business and continually trying out things that might improve their business. If there is something that you don't want Google (or the Government, or Microsoft, et al) to know, for crying out loud don't put it online. Don't put anything online that you wouldn't put on a sign out in your front yard. If you have nothing to hide and/or nothing to steal, then why would you be worried if they want to gather information for commercial purposes? Thousands of other companies do it every day both online and off.

Now where did I put my tinfoil hat?

[ASmith]

tdockery97 writes,
Sorry, but I for one do not believe that Google is evil. They are, however, in the advertising business and continually trying out things that might improve their business. If there is something that you don't want Google (or the Government, or Microsoft, et al) to know, for crying out loud don't put it online. Don't put anything online that you wouldn't put on a sign out in your front yard. If you have nothing to hide and/or nothing to steal, then why would you be worried if they want to gather information for commercial purposes? Thousands of other companies do it every day both online and off.

Thank you for your time and consideration in reading my post regarding Google's new privacy policy changes. I do not necessarily endorse, spew nor advocate that Google is 'evil', I have however left such personal views up to individuals to determine or conclude themselves. To that end I have left a full range of referenced sources ranging from PC World's Staffers, thru NPR and Washington Posts Business World to provide as wide a referenced range of point of views as possible.

While any business or large capitalist US or Global business's are certainly out to make a great deal more money if they can, ethics should play an important decision on how any individual and/or company proceeds on their mega-bucks crusade. I feel Google's new privacy policy is entirely likely to be abused and twisted by various US and Foreign agencys, however it would be a matter of past,present and future history to document and record that, provided same agencys permitted that history to be posted without demanding it be removed or simply taking down websites reporting it.

In regards to why anyone should care about multiple US and Foreign agencys combing thru Google's collected private citizens emails, contact lists, GPS location data, shopping habits and online banking names, I leave such conclusions to mature and thoughtful individuals to decide themselves.

[doktornotor]

1/ They already have all the data.
2/ You totally misunderstood the policy change, so did the "journalists".
3/ Wrt the US agencies... right, they have been waiting for Google to make that happen. No matter they have already wiped their ass with your constitution some 11 years ago.
4/

[DrHu]

OK OK...

But so does facebook , twitter, gmail, hotmail, yahoo et all
--you share data, you should know the risks: business and otherwise..

And we mustn't forget cell phone companies and GPS and geotracking and the oh so useful (you might think) personal search options for the nearest restaurants, theaters movie play time etc.

[doktornotor]

I do not have any FB, Twitter or similar social-networking junk account. Having one global policy for pretty much everything Google-related is a whole lot better than having 70+ of them. How many of those you have read while using Google? I guess none, like most of the users. Solution? You dislike the policy -> you do not use Google services At least you can only read it once in one place now.

[tdockery97]

Two things I do like about Google. They're up front with what they're doing. There's a link on their search page to their new privacy policy. And second, I think their attitude toward government snooping/intervention falls along the same lines as Mozilla. The government ordered Mozilla to provide some sensitive information under threat of prosecution, and Mozilla refused, knowing the government didn't have a leg to stand on.

[craig10x]

Ahhh....such paranoia
With all the great things that Google provides like gmail (one of the best web based mails) Google Chrome (one of the fastest and nicest in web page rendering and constantly being improved) Chrome OS , the superb Google search engine, etc...and he is worried about privacy...what do i care if they use my surfing habits to target ads to me that i would be more interested in? so what? actually, i think that is a good idea...at least some of the ads i see are more relevant that way

It's not like their dipping into my online banking and pulling money out of my account or sending some government agent to my house because i downloaded an mp3 or movie from a newsgroup....if that was happening...well...THEN I WOULD WORRY But it's not...so relax and find something like IMPORTANT to worry about

[bimsebasse]

You've all been brainwashed by google!

The paranoia is getting tedious. They're a company, they make money off ads, they have more success with their ads if they can target the needs of individual users, to this end they collect user data. You have not paid for the services and if you don't like google or the way google works you can choose not to use their products. No one's forcing you.

[Aging Technogeek]

All you need to do is follow the first rulw of Internet safety.

NEVER PUT ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET YOU WOULD NOT WANT THE ENTIRE WORLD TO KNOW BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER THEY WILL KNOW IT.

[bimsebasse]

The entire world will know everything about everything everyone has done on the net. This will happen when an alien encounter morphs us into superbeings with all-encompassing minds, which - if anyone out there is curious - will be during early 2041. Until then, no one cares that you browsed a recipe site and some **** before that and said something not funny on facebook and saw a lolcat video on youtube. No one, not a soul. Don't worry

[ASmith]

craig10x writes,
Ahhh....such paranoia
With all the great things that Google provides like gmail (one of the best web based mails) Google Chrome (one of the fastest and nicest in web page rendering and constantly being improved) Chrome OS , Google web browser, etc...and he is worried about privacy...what do i care if they use my surfing habits to target ads to me that i would be more interested in? so what? actually, i think that is a good idea...at least some of the ads i see are more relevant that way

It's not like their dipping into my online banking and pulling money out of my account or sending some government agent to my house because i downloaded an mp3 or movie from a newsgroup....if that was happening...well...THEN I WOULD WORRY But it's not

I and many other mature Internet users are not suffering from paranoia, we are carefully considering common sense in dealing with what appears to be a push towards the creation of Western Police States. Journalists, Business's etc. must now deal with Goggle's and Facebook's open declaration of reading and scanning all private messages on behalf of 3rd. party purposes. Such leaks of privacy can seriously impact private gmails and Facebook private messages discussing business trades which a 3rd. party could then obtain and use for insider trading corruption, leaked journalistic sources can also result in extremely damaging results up to and including the murder of the whistle-blower or activist.

Prominent Colleges and University's are now offering Cyber Security classes and although class offerings target Journalist students the classes are being widely attended by many non-journalist or RCOM Majors and help teach how private citizens can better protect themselves from US/UK/Israeli/European Gov. agency's invasions on their Internet privacy's.

Reference:
The News Frontier,scouting journalism's future: Teaching Cyber-Security
http://www.cjr.org/the_news_frontier/teaching_cyber-security.php?page=1

TAGS: Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Investigative Reports and Editors, Journalism School

[KBD47]

I do find this troubling: http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/preview/ While much of our lives is now an open book on the net, I don't like the idea of one entity collecting it all in one place. If the government was doing this, you know what the reaction would be across the net. For many of us Google already feels that they own us, our email, photos, documents, browser, searches, and now our social network. Google is getting too powerful and I know of no other entity that has so much of the Internet under its belt, Facebook comes close, but is not so diverse. Give Google your books, music, and movies and only God knows more about you. Between Facebook and Google there will no longer be any privacy on the Internet. And they are both big enough, and people depend upon them enough that they feel free to flaunt the privacy of their users. This isn't paranoia, it's common sense. No entity should have so much of our lives in their hands, and if they do they should indeed: do no evil. But money is involved in this, and evil follows the money
KBD47
PS--A perfect example of why the new policy is so wrong: let's say you have a health condition and you visit a message board regarding that issue, and your gmail address is listed there. You are anonymous on that board so that you can freely discuss your health issue, but now Google makes your entire profile available in connection to that email address, so anyone, employer, health ins. company, law enforcement, Anyone who has your email address has You. Do you really want them to have such free access to everything about you? This is where we are headed.

[craig10x]

them having the information is one thing...but you're suggesting they are then making it public and giving it to other people, companies, etc...where are you getting that idea from? Somehow i can't imagine they would do that...would be rather poor business ethics as it would get out on the internet and people would abandoned using anything connected with them...so just for sheer "business preservation" i think they would have enough common sense not to get involved in such practices...
reputation is very important to a big company like they are...

[tdockery97]

them having the information is one thing...but you're suggesting they are then making it public and giving it to other people, companies, etc...where are you getting that idea from? Somehow i can't imagine they would do that...would be rather poor business ethics as it would get out on the internet and people would abandoned using anything connected with them...so just for sheer "business preservation" i think they would have enough common sense not to get involved in such practices...
reputation is very important to a big company like they are...

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[KBD47]

From Google's new privacy policy: How we use information we collect

We use the information we collect from all of our services to provide, maintain, protect and improve them, to develop new ones, and to protect Google and our users. We also use this information to offer you tailored content – like giving you more relevant search results and ads.

We may use the name you provide for your Google Profile across all of the services we offer that require a Google Account. In addition, we may replace past names associated with your Google Account so that you are represented consistently across all our services. If other users already have your email, or other information that identifies you, we may show them your publicly visible Google Profile information, such as your name and photo.

(bold is my concern)

[doktornotor]

Would not have to be your concern if you did not put information into your public profile... You know, it is public, it says so.

[KBD47]

Better not use Google+ then, because it requires your actual name and ties it to gmail, which is part of your public profile.
You should also do a google search for your name. Google search has gotten much better/worse in its searches. A year ago maybe three pages of info showed up in searches under my name, now I stopped counting at 20 pages of info about me. The more info they have about you, the better their search results.
KBD47

[doktornotor]

Better not use Google+ then

Well, this is spot on! You do NOT use FB, Twitter, G+ nor any similar social-networking junk if you are concerned with privacy. There is no privacy with these things.

[KBD47]

From Washington Post:
The real problem is that Google’s search policy shift and the change in its privacy policies suggest a shift in core values at the company — values you didn’t need a road map to figure out a few years ago. Those were values that placed the user first and stood in stark contrast to monopolistic practices of companies like Microsoft in the 1990s.

They were Google Values, and they felt right. They felt good.

If Google can’t see how perverse some of its decisions look today by comparison, maybe it’s time to rethink the company motto.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ ... siness_pop

More:
But not having the right to choose what information is shared between services is the source of a great deal of criticism.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ ... siness_pop