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Is Google Now Evil? Ask the Engineer!

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db90h:
Besides, if they share my information *within* Google, that - to me - is a lot different than the gazillion corporations that share information with *each other*. If ever Google breaches THAT boundary, then I'll rethink things. As for REAL privacy on the internet, you can pretty much count it as a myth these days ;p. Sure, if you took extreme measures, I guess you could have more privacy over who you visit and what you do, etc.. but you really have to go 'all out' for it to work, else there's always a point of failure (e.g. DNS queries). I don't meant to say just anybody has access to this private information, but I'm pretty sure the government does ... when and as they need it, with or without ever informing the judiciary.

mahesh2k:
Hell, everything is social now.
--- End quote ---

Internet started with social concept to begin with. I don't know why people give google credit for social thing.

Point is if people don't mind giving that much information to google then why stop a stalker salesman? Why fight with government if they're going to install cams to monitor every activity of yours? Why feel bad if any random person creates your cam vid and distributes over interwebs? Everything is social and google is not evil, right?

Just because we abandoned the google account doesn't mean it ends over there. Analytics script which is installed on most of the websites collect enough information about visitors which google uses and passes small pie to the website publisher. So as long as people surf on sites where there is google analytics, they're tracking. It's not about forcing to use any of their service anymore.

40hz:
Hell, everything is social now.
--- End quote ---

Just because we abandoned the google account doesn't mean it ends over there. Analytics script which is installed on most of the websites collect enough information about visitors which google uses and passes small pie to the website publisher. So as long as people surf on sites where there is google analytics, they're tracking. It's not about forcing to use any of their service anymore.
-mahesh2k (March 19, 2012, 07:59 AM)
--- End quote ---

mahesh2k makes an excellent point. With so many sites co-opted to do Google data gathering it's becoming increasingly hard to see exactly where Google leaves off any more. But that's fine by Google. Because Google sees the Internet as Google and can't understand why so many of us continue to refuse to get with the program.

The other insidious problem with widespread private information gathering, data mining, and surveillance is that there are few checks and balances against it. If the government wants to gather information on you it usually requires a warrant. And there are (or used to be) rules to prevent the government from going on fishing expeditions for information since warrants and subpoenas are by nature somewhat narrow in scope and authority granted.

Government agencies are also bound by the constitutional and statutory constraints. And subject to oversight and review. No so private agencies. Whatever specifically isn't forbidden is considered ok until a law says otherwise. Government is restricted from gathering unnecessary information. Insurance and money lenders can and do routinely ask applicants for unnecessary information as a condition of doing business with them. Merchants track and gather as much information as possible every time you visit their website, shop in their stores, or make a purchase. And whatever information they can't gather that way can often be obtained by offering incentives (usually no more than a chance in a minor prize drawing) for participating in a survey. And all that information can be collated and shared without any further notice or oversight.

Where it becomes insidious is, when the government wants access to information it has no legal right to collect, it can always request it from private businesses and organizations. These businesses and organizations are free to set their own 'privacy policies.' And most have a provision that states they will fully cooperate with any and all government requests for information as a courtesy. Brilliant, don't you think? Your bank, your ISP, your telco, your credit cards, and your insurance companies have all given themselves the power to supply information it would have formerly required a court order to obtain. And here's the best part: you already gave them your consent to do so.

(You did read all that fine print on that paperwork you signed didn't you? It was right there, spelled out quite clearly in 9-point type in the middle of page 17 of 34. At least we assume you read it. Because you said you read and understood it in the paragraph just above your signature. )

So one way around legal restrictions on government power is to simply allow the private sector to run riot over individual privacy - and then get the information from them. And that is exactly what is happening. And has been happening for about the last 20 years. And all of it with our implied 'consent' and blessings.

40hz:
Internet started with social concept to begin with.
-mahesh2k (March 19, 2012, 07:59 AM)
--- End quote ---

Minor point: not really.  :)

The 'original' Internet (DARPNET/ARPANET) was conceived as a communications resource for key people and institutions (i.e. government and carefully selected universities, research institutions, and defense contractors) to exchange messages and information using a communications infrastructure that was relatively impervious to disruption due to a nuclear attack.

Whatever "social" aspects the Internet later acquired were not part of the original concept by any stretch. That came later with the adoption of TCP/IP and the replacement of the formerly closed ARPANET by the NSF when it introduced NSFNET back in the late 80s. That was what basically opened things up to the general public and later became "The Internet" as we think of it today.

mahesh2k:
I agree that it was not part of the original research.

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