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Google Ends Privacy

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Edvard:
Also one should realise too that you can view the profile Google has built up on you and request that they no longer use targeted ads.-Eóin (January 25, 2012, 04:57 PM)
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Silly question, but how do you view it ?
-4wd (January 26, 2012, 01:17 AM)
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https://www.google.com/dashboard/
-Deozaan (January 26, 2012, 01:26 AM)
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Wow, they have almost nothing on me. :tellme:

I read another story on this, and AFAICT, these things only cross-breed when you are logged in to a Google service.
I don’t have a Google Account, but use Google search. Am I affected?:
No. The new policy only applies to people who have a Google Account linked to services such as Gmail, Picasa or YouTube and are signed in.
What if I have account but am not signed in?:
Google can only integrate your information if you are signed in. For example, if you’re signed in to your Gmail account on one tab, and then decide to look up a clip on YouTube on another tab without signing out of your e-mail, the data will be integrated. If you sign out or look up a YouTube clip on a different browser, the data won’t be integrated.

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(emphasis mine)

So just to test it a bit, I logged into the dashboard using my Gmail ID (which I am only using for job searches).
Checked a few things and looked at what they reported about my Gmail in a different tab.
Logged out of Gmail.
Back on the Dashboard page, I refreshed; Lo and behold, it went back to the login page, which means logging out of Gmail logged me out of my account's dashboard as well.
So it seems you can opt-out if you log out (though they no doubt track searches to IP addresses...).

RE: Android phones -
I have an Android phone. How does this affect me?: Because you have to sign in to your Google account to do anything except for browse the Web and make phone calls, Google will be able to track practically anything you do on your phone using Google services.
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So even on the phones, it's limited to what you do while logged in, and apparently you can browse and call without that happening.
Troubling news, but not unexpected, and seemingly easily circumvented.

Eóin:
I have an Android phone. How does this affect me?: Because you have to sign in to your Google account to do anything except for browse the Web and make phone calls, Google will be able to track practically anything you do on your phone using Google services.
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So even on the phones, it's limited to what you do while logged in, and apparently you can browse and call without that happening.
Troubling news, but not unexpected, and seemingly easily circumvented.
-Edvard (January 26, 2012, 05:24 AM)
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The great thing about Android is that you don't have to use the Google services, you can use any of the plethora of alternatives. In fact if you go a step further and install a ROM like CyanogenMod you can opt to not have a single Google app installed on the device to begin with.

[edit] Also people should checkout - http://www.google.com/intl/en-GB/privacy/tools.html

There you can opt out of search personalisation, targeted ads, etc.

Jibz:
+1 (pun intended) to Josh, Deo and Oshyan.

Some years back this would have gotten me upset, but when I read this the other day I was merely surprised because I had assumed they already did this. It seems odd for a company to not aggregate data from its various divisions -- like Oshyan says, I think you can rest assured MS, FB, Yahoo etc. all do this.

I've also checked the data they have on me from time to time, and it boils down to the fact that I am interested in technology, programming, puzzles and MMOG, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

I doubt I will ever click an add, but if I have to have some on my screen, I'll take some for compilers and debuggers over life insurance and viagra any day.

The only thing that worries me a bit about the whole thing is the way social search gives you a narrower view of the world. If you are interested in something, social search could show you only results that match your view on the subject, which lessens the value of the information. On the other hand it has the potential to greatly increase the effectiveness of searching, for instance youtube is slowly getting better at showing me videos I might actually watch.

TaoPhoenix:
It's hard for me to get worked up about these privacy issues.. I'm not sure why, they just don't seem to bother me.

Now I happen to think google is out of control and harmful for other reasons i have written about -- and believe that their greed and need to dig their nails deep into every thing in order to ensure they can never be dislodged from their position as an unstoppable advertising machine is disgusting.  But the privacy stuff is the least of my concerns..
-mouser (January 25, 2012, 02:36 PM)
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The basic problem is that email is "carefully written to X people", while what you watch on YouTube is "sorta private". *So Far* Google has been almost sane about how they use your/me data. But the "Mayan Doomsday" of security breaches is when Google decides to mashup your YouTube history into your forced G+ profile which then pulls your entire contact list in as "Friends".

The whole concept of a privacy breach is that you initially think something is under control, only later to find the company decided "Nah, we can get $50 for this snip of info, let's sell it!" Except they sold it to a moron company, and then it leaks, then it goes Streisand Effect when you try to shut it down.

Then on the side for dessert people graft your name to ridiculous stuff just for the lulz.

"Mouser denies ever having carved open a hole in a cantaloupe and turned it into a pomegranite ice cream scorpion punch bowl!"
"I never said that!"
"So you're not denying it?"
"Uh, wait, what?"

40hz:

"Mouser denies ever having carved open a hole in a cantaloupe and turned it into a pomegranite ice cream scorpion punch bowl!"
"I never said that!"
"So you're not denying it?"
"Uh, wait, what?"
-TaoPhoenix (January 27, 2012, 02:22 PM)
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 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Not even TaoPhoenix's 200th post and already I'm becoming a fan. :Thmbsup:

 ;D

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