Quote from: Eóin on January 25, 2012, 10:57 PM

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.

Silly question, but how do you view it ?

https://www.google.com/dashboard/

I think everyone should watch this video and then question whether Google knowing your "favorite music" is the biggest of their worries. Watched this in my CISSP class.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2160824376898701015

https://www.google.com/dashboard/

Thanks Deo!

Yep, as I guessed, pretty bland

Quote

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.

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.

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.

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..

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?"

It is so amusing how people are mad about Google's continued reluctancy to stop their data misuse but don't see a reason to just stop using Google services. Oh well... people are stupid.

(Written without Google.)

Did you opt-in to their profiling? I have not. But they do.

Their cookie-based tracking does not rely on the existence of an account.

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

Your choice of replies:

<Elvis> "Thank you - Thank you very much" </Elvis>

Or -

<Evil Commander> So glad to have you aboard, Cadet. I have a 5,000 post history on the net. You are my latest accolyte. </Evil Commander>

This e-mail has started showing up in  GMail inboxes.

Dear Google user,

We're getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.

We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.

Be sure to go to the link in the letter. It spells out Google's new policies. It's an interesting read. Less informative than it could be due to a liberal sprinkling of "may" and "may or may not" hedge-wording.

I had said before that, at the very least, Google's policies remove any anonymity you think you may have when working with their services and products.

The following, taken from their new policy, confirms that to be the case:

(Note: I took the liberty of highlighting the key areas thay merit a closer look in case you still have doubts.)

Log information – When you access Google services via a browser, application or other client our servers automatically record certain information. These server logs may include information such as your web request, your interaction with a service, Internet Protocol address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser or your account.


User communications – When you send email or other communications to Google, we may retain those communications in order to process your inquiries, respond to your requests and improve our services. When you send and receive SMS messages to or from one of our services that provides SMS functionality, we may collect and maintain information associated with those messages, such as the phone number, the wireless carrier associated with the phone number, the content of the message, and the date and time of the transaction. We may use your email address to communicate with you about our services.

Most disturbing is the retention of private user generated message content, which has no value whatsoever for Google's marketing - but which is very valuable for fishing expeditions conducted by various parties. Can you say: criticize your employer or the government and later face repercussions - and then wonder how they knew? Especially since you only did so in an email sent to your best friend?

A simple information request made as a favor - or through a subpoena - would be sufficient. Big Brother doesn't exactly watch you. But he does record every single word you utter and log every thing you do for later recall  - and evaluation.

It's called data mining. And it works.

Right now, these things have been perceived as fairly benevolent. Largely because egregious invasions of personal privacy have remained relatively rare - and were downplayed when reported.

But that's only because those who could most benefit from stripping privacy from all walks of personal life haven't felt sufficiently pushed against the proverbial wall to move on it. And the unfortunate truth is there's no guarantee they'll continue to feel that way in the future.

When you consider the huge degree of public disenchantment with politicians and the political process(mostly  over rampant corruption and excessive corporate influence mongering) governments worldwide have cause to be concerned. Because one message is now emerging loud and clear: "Business as Usual" is becoming less and less acceptable. And the public is getting fed up with it. The Arab Spring and Occupy movements are just the tip of the iceberg. There's a seismic shift starting. And when it finally goes into full swing - there will be some serious pushback by those who seek to maintain the status quo.

My biggest concern, with the heightened and heated level of rhetoric we're hearing in political circles, is the very real chance of us seeing our government switch into "wounded rhino mode." That's where the large and lumbering animal feels threatened, or becomes wounded, and lashes out with deadly and indiscriminate fury at anything and everything around it.

It's a very real concern...

Especially in an era where government sanctioned "shock & awe" is becoming the preferred response to everything: from a full-bore terrorist attack, all the way down to a local arrest for a minor felony.


No matter what town or city you're from in the USA, you'll see ninja-suited heavily armed police units responding any time an arrest is expected to be made. And that includes arrests for some of the most minor offenses imaginable.

Guess they need to do something to justify all the spending on "homeland security" training and equipment that's been used to militarize US local police forces in the last ten years.

The problem with tech like that is, once it's out there, it begs to be used. And often creates justification when justification can't be found.

So it goes.

I do not consider myself a fanboy of any company. I learned long ago that being in such a status dilutes your views on reality. Microsoft is nor more evil than Facebook, Apple, Google, <insert evil company du jour here>. All companies cross ethical boundaries and make people question whether the choices are for the good. I take a step back and examine these choices and determine if they are good for me. I consider the change in privacy policies to a single policy a good thing from a consumer prospective. I already expected data to be shared across Google Services. That is not something I would have expected otherwise. I want my data from gmail to be accessible in calendar. I want to be able to link google+ contacts to my gmail contacts to synchronize information. Social search? Who cares, I can opt out if I do not agree with it.

"Anyone at DC"? Who here is a Google fanboy? Bring me his head!

mahesh, I knew that when I wrote it. I just had to qualify my post before I stated my opinion.