Comments on: Peeping Tom Google Lacks Data Privacy

By: Imran Aijazuddin

Imran Aijazuddin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:43 +0000

Google has the unique ability to post advertisements relating to your search input or email subject. This innovative feature explains why it is so successful – companies flock to advertise on Google, knowing that their ads will reach the target market. I was always impressed by this technology, but didn't realize its major downside. So much personal information is easily accessible online. If I Google myself, I find my Facebook page and some references to my high school football days, complete with my age, location, etc. However, I am not too concerned. Google has proven itself a trustworthy and reliable company on numerous occasions. It knows its boundaries and will not overstep them. Look for it to come out with some revolutionary identity-protection software if public concern grows.

By: Enokidsi

Enokidsi — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:48:58 +0000

Deffinitly scary! But as SocialVeritas said it will make our experience with the internet more personal and hopfully make our and companies lives easier with what advertisments we see! On the other hand it is scary that they have a year and halfs worth of data on us and that someone could use it for wrong reasons. Hopfully somone will help put their power in check so they dont over step their boundaries.

By: Ashley Strickland

Ashley Strickland — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:20:18 +0000

I appreciate another view concerning Google and I definitely agree with some of your points. But perhaps the true problem here is that with all of your data laying on Google's application interfaces, the danger lies in who else can find it. If someone is savvy enough, they could have access to your location, daily calendar and even your recorded voice. Google has been called out before when it comes to protecting personal data privacy. They even track the battery life of your phone as you use it. This may actually be helpful, especially since this allows them to improve the batteries in their phones. But My Location and Latitude are the applications that worry me. They not only track your location but share it with others so people can find you. Google Earth has even been linked to national security concerns. But who knows? This feels like a tool that could enable cyber stalkers, but let's just hope that Google only uses our information for good.

By: Adam Brooks

Adam Brooks — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:47:46 +0000

Google's ability to track our tastes and search queries via its online toolbox [and soon operating software] is a far cry from bad, or evil. Combined with Google's umbrella mission, which seeks to organize all the world's data, will enable us, streamlining our consumer, business, and personal searches. If their tracking or "stalking" via compiling a virtual briefcase on all our habits was done by a person who would do who-knows-what with the information, that could be unnerving. On the other hand, if it is done to personalize our interaction with the internet, it can only be helpful. Worst case scenario: they sell information to companies so they can more effectively, and singularly, target those who are interested in their services, rather than blanketing the masses with their marketing efforts. Better [and more realistic] scenario, Google will Pandora-ify. BY this I mean they will be able to categorize our likes and dislikes based on our behavior history and use algorithms to understand what we would like to be connected to in the future, and what not to waste our time with. When we search for "umbrella + music" perhaps Google's software intuition would be able to understand that we are probably looking for a pop song with "umbrella" we recently heard instead of just umbrella companies and music companies named "Umbrella." The expansive collaboration of Google software will streamline our business activities, understand us to connect us to the information we are looking for, faster, and bring us a whole host of utilities we had no clue to expect or ask for. Just wait and see the possibilities before you pass judgment.