Google and Your Privacy

lisa · #1 (**permalink**) 09-28-2009, 03:41 PM

I thought this was a very interesting article posted on AssociatePrograms.com last week. It generated quite the conversation.

http://www.associateprograms.com/art...-make-you-pay/

In essence, it says if you use Google's tools, you are giving up your privacy and your information could be used against you in many ways. I think the article makes some good points. Definitely something to think about. However you also have to remember that when you decide to go online (particularly to start a business) and begin using various tools and services, your privacy is compromised in some sense. Love it or hate it, it's the way it is.

So, what does everyone think? Does this worry you? Scare you? Are you indifferent? Is Google getting too big? Collecting too much info? To quote the infamous SNL line, Talk amongst yourselves.....

Jonathan · #2 (**permalink**) 09-28-2009, 04:00 PM

Interesting points. I'm really not too worried about Google. I haven't put any information online that I'm scared about, or that someone couldn't find out already if they really wanted to know. If Google wants to browse my surfing habits or read my email with their algorithm, then so be it. I don't feel anything sinister about it, especially since my personal info is probably not being viewed by the humans at Google -- just the machines with their automatic programming.

I think Google knows their place. If they step too far out of line, the government (and the people) will come down on them hard.

Donk · #3 (**permalink**) 09-28-2009, 04:09 PM

Hi Lisa

I brought up this topic a few months ago.

http://www.websitebabble.com/website...about-you.html

Bob

lisa · #4 (**permalink**) 09-28-2009, 04:19 PM

Interesting, Bob. I couldn't figure out why I don't remember this thread. Then I saw the date and remembered I was out of town during this time so I probably missed it.

James · #5 (**permalink**) 09-28-2009, 05:06 PM

Quote:

I think Google knows their place. If they step too far out of line, the government (and the people) will come down on them hard.

Jonathan, do you mean like the government protects us from Wall Street (Bernie Madoff) and Visa (anybody getting higher rates, lowered credit and increased payment requirements lately) and the PayDay Loan people and the mortgage companies offering variable rate loans when they knew rates were extremely low and certain to only go up and...?

I try not to be too cynical, but essentially people have to watch out for themselves. I'm confident you do know this because you noted that you only put stuff online when you couldn't be hurt by others knowing.

You do lose a lot of privacy online. Lisa's comments are right on. It goes with the territory. It's a hard pill to swallow for some of us but it is life.

If you have nothing to hide it is easier.

Jonathan · #6 (**permalink**) 09-28-2009, 06:00 PM

No doubt that the smartest thing to do is have personal responsibility. You should always watch out for yourself. The government can't stop people from not managing their budget or posting all their information everywhere.

With that said, I think privacy is of a bigger concern with something like this. Perhaps I'm a bit biased because I work with many doctors and I see the precautions taken with private health information. In this way and more, the government (and its laws) try to protect people. Microsoft can't even do whatever they want with their software without being sued. I don't think Google will slip under the radar.

I mean, what do people expect Google to do with our information? Beyond the possibility of selling our address or browsing habits to advertisers, I'm having trouble imagining anything "evil" Google would do with my public information. So I just don't see anything to worry about.

lisa · #7 (**permalink**) 09-29-2009, 01:59 AM

Such great points everyone (especially your government example, James). I personally am not too worried about it. As a business owner who makes use of these tools and knows in advance that Google is collecting the data, I realize that comes with the territory. As the article said, Google is a business and their #1 goal is to make money, not to provide a charity. So we just have to remain aware of that and what information we are putting out here.

Earnest · #8 (**permalink**) 09-29-2009, 08:10 AM

Lately, I have started to get the impression that Google is somehow spreading too wide and is probably trying to embrace more than it can handle. Google Health, Google Voice, Google Wave. There's a host of security concerns to be associated with these, not even to speak of Google Apps, that are good online productivity tools, but can potentially have users locked out of their own content. That is why it's always best to be somewhat wary about all this and think twice before entrusting any sensitive or critical data to a cloud-based party such as Google.

webman · #9 (**permalink**) 10-26-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

"Google and its wholly owned subsidiaries will not be liable to user or any third-party claimant for any indirect, special, punitive, consequential (including, without limitation, lost profits or lost data collected through the service), or incidental damages, whether based on a claim or action of contract, warranty, negligence, strict liability, or other tort, breach of any statutory duty, indemnity or contribution, or otherwise, even if Google and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates has been advised of the possibility of such damages..."

So in other-words, they are immune to lawsuits and essentially above the law?

How can they get away with this?

sequencehosting · #10 (**permalink**) 10-26-2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James

Jonathan, do you mean like the government protects us from Wall Street (Bernie Madoff) and Visa (anybody getting higher rates, lowered credit and increased payment requirements lately) and the PayDay Loan people and the mortgage companies offering variable rate loans when they knew rates were extremely low and certain to only go up and...?

I try not to be too cynical, but essentially people have to watch out for themselves. I'm confident you do know this because you noted that you only put stuff online when you couldn't be hurt by others knowing.

You do lose a lot of privacy online. Lisa's comments are right on. It goes with the territory. It's a hard pill to swallow for some of us but it is life.

If you have nothing to hide it is easier.

Not to mention only a measly $1,000,000-$15,000,000 (compared to the $70,000,000 spent on investigating Bill Clintons affairs, of course paid by the tax payer) investigation into 9/11 and some made up story's about World Trade Center 7 collapsing due to fire (impossible).

I agree with James the government is not going to do anything unless it makes them a lot of money.

government = evil

Google = Certainly has too much power for my liking. It's actually pretty scary when you think about it. Every tool/program they have collects our information. What Google is/will do with it is certainly a scary thought.

I watch a Internet Marketers online show where he shares tips/advice and he doesn't use any Google tools.

BreLove · #11 (**permalink**) 10-26-2009, 05:59 PM

As a female, I'm concerned. But I can't say I'm much more concerned than I'd probably be if I had to close the doors of a brick and mortar business at night...alone. Big brother type businesses were gathering information before it was popular or even known that they were gathering information. So, by the time we knew enough to make laws, the databases were already created. So, it's not just Google. If the credit bureaus are able to make money selling our information obviously there are companies willing to buy it. I've heard that if you apply for certain government jobs they pay a visit to past family and friends. I doubt they only visit the people that are suggested. I'd guess they visit some of the folks you'd forgotten about that knew you at a different time in your life.

Long before we were paying attention, databases were being built...fast forward and add the internet to the equation

Heck, when I saw that the backlinks from WB were associated to my website, it kinda freaked me out. I mean I was thinking, what was my purpose for creating the username Brelove if it could so easily be associated with Sabrina. A very easy mistake to make and I'm sure it's done all the time.

Just proves that something as simple as learning web development or sharing a thing or two in the Babble Lounge is accessible and valuable to someone. And everyone isn't as trustworthy as we are

.

I think it's human nature to I want to know way more about what's going around me than I want you to know about what's going on with me. That's why they gather information...because everybody, to some degree, wants to know.

Jonathan · #12 (**permalink**) 10-26-2009, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webman

So in other-words, they are immune to lawsuits and essentially above the law?

How can they get away with this?

No one is immune to lawsuits, even if they try to be.

BreLove · #13 (**permalink**) 10-26-2009, 08:14 PM

True, true!

wgcool · #14 (**permalink**) 10-27-2009, 12:33 AM

This is very sensitive issue which should be given utmost attention. It is very complex issue that Google is sometime breaching the boundary of our private lives. Actually, we have become so much engrossed with it that we have messing up our personal life with public life and this is what creating a problem.

Jenishtte Poo · #15 (**permalink**) 11-16-2009, 07:53 AM

I don't care much about it. Actually, I use both IE and Firefox. I use IE for my personally affairs and use firefox(with google tools installed) for promotion work.

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