15 things you didnt know that Google knows about YOU!

I read this whole thread and now I realize - Is this anyway related to internet marketing and making money?

Duh! I wasted 5 minutes

[reapr]

Originally Posted by Creative Thinker

I read this whole thread and now I realize - Is this anyway related to internet marketing and making money?

Duh! I wasted 5 minutes

Yes this thread tests you IM IQ that is not wasting your time on worthless threads ...

All joking aside. It has a lot to do with IM.

Many people will not use google toolbar, keyword tool, gmail, analytics and avoid any other service to avoid giving up information. This thread helps people realise how integrated google is wrapped up into out internet activity ...

[Martin.Avis]

Originally Posted by Creative Thinker

Is this anyway related to internet marketing and making money?

If, as a marketer, you can't see how you can make money out of the sense of paranoia that is thrown up by this thead then yes, you did just waste 5 minutes.

Martin

[theinfomaven]

All of this issues can be stopped by using alternative services and forcing your contacts to do the same.

Also, xerobank.net blocks google from knowing who you are and where you are located.

Worth every penny.


otherwise you get this.....

Google in 2084
http://www.jumbojoke.com/images/google2084.jpg

[TelegramSam]

Eventually in the future, Google will inserts chips into our babies.

Each baby will be assigned a few random keywords and a niche.

Each kid will only be able to be contacted, if people find those keywords on the internet.

So the child has to spend most of their early days trying to optimise their individual page and their ppc niche.

You will only be able to buy things via Google.

Your purchasing choices will be restricted to the data Google holds on your Parents.

So if your parents spent all day watching Oprah, and mom clicking on weight loss ads and dad surfing porn, then you are screwed.

Basically, we are doomed...

Come on Bing, perhaps a microsoft controlled future will be better.

[kevinfar]

that's funny.

However, it does give a lot of food for thought of where we will be if we continue along this path

Originally Posted by TelegramSam

Eventually in the future, Google will inserts chips into our babies.

Each baby will be assigned a few random keywords and a niche.

Each kid will only be able to be contacted, if people find those keywords on the internet.

So the child has to spend most of their early days trying to optimise their individual page and their ppc niche.

You will only be able to buy things via Google.

Your purchasing choices will be restricted to the data Google holds on your Parents.

So if your parents spent all day watching Oprah, and mom clicking on weight loss ads and dad surfing porn, then you are screwed.

Basically, we are doomed...

Come on Bing, perhaps a microsoft controlled future will be better.

[JohnMcCabe]

Originally Posted by Joe118

Listen you dont seem to get it. Of course I dont need Google for this or that to bite me. It's the fact that Google has (access to) *all* of this information about me that jynxes me. I know there are other ways in which surfing porn can get you, etc.

The point was (and is) whether you think Google has too much information about you all in one place...

Sorry, Joe, but I DO get it. I just don't happen to agree with you.

So if you are looking for an exact answer to your question...

NO

What promised to be an interesting discussion has turned into one of those "agree with me or you're a fool" threads, so I'm outta here...

[Floyd Fisher]

Originally Posted by Kevin Riley

I keep wondering when we'll need the help of John Conner to fight the GoogleBots that are intent on wiping out mankind.

They're heeeeere!

YouTube - Google Attack

[SeanSupplee]

Google has become self aware

[Joe118]

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Sorry, Joe, but I DO get it. I just don't happen to agree with you.

So if you are looking for an exact answer to your question...

NO

What promised to be an interesting discussion has turned into one of those "agree with me or you're a fool" threads, so I'm outta here...

I for one didnt call you any names.

[rainspeak]

Makes you wonder how they really use this information. Is google connected with walmar?

[melanied]

I agree with Big Mike - while my privacy is important to me, thus far (when you examine my actions) it hasn't proven to be as important as availing myself of public services like Google - or any search engine, for that matter.

I'm FAR from off the grid!

[cdog]

Originally Posted by Joe118

The real problem is the concentration of information in one place. I don't really have a problem disclosing potentially private and none-of-your-business information to someone to gain access to their service. But if that same entity is my search engine, my email provider, my VOIP provider, my news provider, my video and entertainment provider, my calendar provider, my online document storer, my advertising agency, my mobile phone provider, and my network (wireless and wired) provider -- then I'm a little alarmed.

I understand you Joe118. I used to work for a government agency. Not the one listed below. The amount of sheer private information we have on everyone in one place is crazy. The things we did (they continue to do) to collect that information would surprise the hell out of you and any conspiracy theorist. The ongoing collection of the info via the internet, satellites, banks, monitoring wireless services, and companies that are associated with the government is crazy.

You see Google has been in this information collecting game a long time folks. When I was in the military I belonged to unit called Criminal Investigation Task Force (CITF). Here is a link to the wikipedia page Criminal Investigation Task Force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Small summary just in case you don't want to click:

The CITF is a military unit made up of members from all the branches of the U.S. armed forces. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). In military, and law enforcement agencies, "Task Forces" are temporary organizations created to conduct a specialized mission or task. Members of "Joint Task Forces" such as the CITF are drawn from many different units.

The CITF has operated worldwide and has conducted over 1500 investigations and 10,000 interviews, and has collected evidence both in places where persons were captured and elsewhere. The results of CITF investigations has been used in military tribunals at the Guantánamo Bay detainment camp and quasi-legal proceedings in Afghanistan and Iraq.[1]. The CITF has provided evidence to Iraqi Courts to prosecute insurgents and foreign fighters captured in Iraq for crimes there.

When this group started it was classified Top Secret. We wore civilian clothes. We did not have to dress professional. As a matter of fact we looked like a bunch of in shape internet marketers working at home everyday. One tool we used to collect intel was Google . There was so much information we could extract from Google it was ridiculous. Now that's before all the other services Google offers.

You see no one cared just like a lot of you in this thread . When we knocked on your door with information that was not given to us by you, people perception started to change. You didn't care until we came knocking. Once again concentration of information. We used one source. A lot of info about you is stored in one place.

See government agencies don't get along folks. Agencies hate to share intel with each other unless it's going to help that particular agency. We did not share information because of the concentration of information. No agency wanted the other to have all the information. Even though it was for the same cause.

Now you have Google who is offering all these great services for free in exchange for your life. Yes folks your life. You know you can pickup, leave your hometown move to another state. Lose touch with friends and contacts in your hometown.

They might not ever know where you live, that you got married, have kids, etc.. Get to that new state and settle in. Guess what Google a freaking search engine knows . Concentration of Information.

[cdog]

Originally Posted by TelegramSam

Eventually in the future, Google will inserts chips into our babies.

Not google but the government. Not babies but humans. Folks the technology is already here. Testing, testing, testing. I had a military id card with a chip in it that stored information about me. Look like a small thin sim card. In the future could they use that to track individual soldiers whereabouts?

Onstar in vehicles. Can find your vehicle anywhere. I hope you are not cheating on your spouses. Hell you can even track cellphones. I know when my younger sister leaves the house, I know when she is at the mall, I know what route she took to get there. Now imagine a chip or any id card that you have to carry with you that does this. It's coming. But will I be alive when it gets here.

[JohnMcCabe]

I don't care which side of the fence you are on with this issue.

Wired had a fascinating piece on how difficult it was to disappear in the digital age:

Writer Evan Ratliff Tried to Vanish: Here’s What Happened | Vanish | Wired.com

Even though the challenge is over and the article published, there's still a lot of talk about it:

Twitter

[Robert Puddy]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Doesn't happen here.

Must be an American thing?

No I'm in the UK and it happens here now

we were opening gmail accounts for clients, but we now will have to back to creating email accounts on the domains of the sites they get allocated. And consequently back to having support questions about how to set up email in outlook

Another Crappy idea from google

[nikolaaa]

Big brother is watching you

[Patricia1]

Joe118, you make Google sound like the UK Government. Since Gordan Brown and the rest of the goombars in Westminster tell us what to think, what to say and control just about everything else...who cares about Google!

[thegamecat]

Just wait for the gov the break up google - then we'll see how big they are.

[MikeAmbrosio]

Originally Posted by knight006

Wow.......big brother watching you !!!! Its amazing how all this was allowed to happen. Seems more like invasion of privacy...
Thanks for all the info.

Not really. You (we) volunteer ALL of that information.

Think about it. Pretty much every site you "sign up" for, every software and toolbar you install, everything you purchase with a credit card, whether you think so or not, you are giving your permission to take and keep that information.

You know all those "Terms of Service" screens we just blow by, arbitrarily "agree" to? Read a few of them. It may shock you.

Bottom line is if you want to stop having "big brother" watch every move you make, you'll need to:

Go off line
Toss your computer
Cut up all your credit cards
Close your bank accounts
Disconnect from the power companies
Stop using ATM's
Stop driving (cut up your license and registration)
Cancel your life and health insurance
Stay away from any public video/security cameras

Did I forget anything?

So, have fun living up in the mountains, growing or hunting for your food and enjoy the solitude. Worked for the Una Bomber for many years

[BIG Mike]

If you're building a list or making sales, there is no doubt a ton of info you're collecting about every customer - does that make all of us "Big Brothers?"

My TOS/Privacy Statement says that i won't share that info (and I won't) unless compelled to do so by law. Except for the scale, how does that make me or anyone else selling online different than Google?

[matthad]

i wonder how much information is "leaked" or sold!

[Joel Gray]

This has been a very interesting post to read with a number of different views. So thanks for the post, but all in all the overall implications pointed a Google for doing the same thing that anyone with a website and tracking software is doing are kinda un-fair. They track things to provide their customers with a better product, make it easier to move thru a website or get the most informed search results, just like any good online business tries to do.

And if you are concerned that your information is not safe then refrain from using the services that are provided by Google, but remember the information helps them to provide a more superior product to their online customers.

And I also have to agree that considering the political climate these days to give up a little privacy to help combat terrorism, online fraud, kiddie porn or any other undesirable online component that gives IMer's a bad name, puts children in danger or causes even larger problems....no problem with the Googlebot here!

There is also the money thing as stated above Big G does help to pay the bills and provides us with the some of the better paid for traffice that can be found.

And while surfing porn if the people running those sites are testing and tracking then you should be getting the best service that they can provide, hence the best adult website experience you can get.

Joel

[greenovni]

UNLESS You own cloned modems. Then google thinks that you are someone else.

[JulioGarabot]

I use Google as a resource and if it wants some information back so let it have it.

[Wage Mills]

dont forget the g1 (google phone)
which has gps

[Phil Ayres]

And, now that they are getting in on the DNS game, they know even MORE about your website!

[Handsome J]

Well, I'm not ready to take up a hacker alias like "Brill" in "Enemy Of The State". I dont think the alternative of living in a "jar" like faraday cage is too appealing either. Does Google know a crazy amount about people like me with:

- Google Voice
- Multiple Site w/Apps For my Domains
- Google Checkout
- Chrome
- A soon to be had Verizon Droid cell phone
- Google Search as my Homepage
- Youtube Accounts & Searches

Likely I have quite a file back at Google HQ. Am I concerned? Not too concerned. The reason I am not is because I know the second an abuse of power of that information takes place, a mass exodus of customers would likely follow. If that were to happen and they lose customer loyalty, their business model is toast. In any business relationship, there has to be varying degrees of reciprocal trust. The government is already looking hard at Google as they control quite a bit, the second they get a whiff of anything that smells of a monopoly, the senate oversight committees will intervene as they did in the Standard Oil, AT&T, & Microsofts cases. See link below:

Why Is Obama's Top Antitrust Cop Gunning for Google?

[Kylerudy]

Great thread nice

[Chris Worner]

Originally Posted by BIG Mike

Maybe I'm the odd guy out here, but really, who cares? I'm not an "Extremist" when it comes to privacy issues...I assume that whenever I use a publicly available service there will be record of some sort and that doesn't much bother me.

From a business perspective, if that data helps them to continue to grow and offer a higher level of service, I'm all for it. After all, isn't that what we all try to do?

From the issue of ISP's sharing data with the FBI or other agencies, I'm all for that too - I've got nothing to hide and quite honestly, I'd rather give up a little privacy if there's a chance it'll stop a terrorist, kiddie porn or whatever.

Did you ever wonder how much info your telehpone or mobile carrier has about you? Or the folks with the wireless networks out there could be accumulating? Hell, even your cable company could be tracking data about you that you might not be aware of.

I'm not saying real privacy isn't important, but no one can really escape the fact that if they choose to interact online, some information about them will always be tracked on one level or another.

Dont forget the banks who supply your debit and credit cards, they know what you buy and where you go

[KarlWarren]

Just searched GOOGLE IS SKYNET, and there are 1.4m search results

Same old story...

G100 sent back in time to kill John Connor's mum, John Connor sends back his dad to save his mum...

Fast forward... armageddon only delayed...

Adapted G100 goes back in time to terminate Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

[Chris Worner]

Originally Posted by Kay King

bThese days if you want total privacy, you go off the grid.

If you want to use google's (free) services such as gmail, etc - you give up some information to do it.

If google wants to follow me around online, that's fine - but the poor little bot will probably be bored to death before long.

kay

or you could just use a proxy

[Jawshh]

Hmm google sure knows many things

[Fabian Tan]

Privacy is a thing of the past...these days we can lock our door, close the curtains, and through a secret spy cam (pen camera etc), someone may still know what we're doing (yes even scratching our balls)

There are more CCTV cameras everywhere. Even public buses in my area have a camera nowadays. These days, you can't even pee in a public place without fear that someone might have secretly stuck a small peephole camera 'down there'.

Fabian

[Steve Wells]

1. If you use gmail, Google knows every word you wrote in email, to whom, which messages you read and when, and who you get email from -- even if the email is supposedly private.

Isn't this illegal, since a email should be private information, or do they somehow have a way around the law?

I do not use gmail, but if I did I would not be happy with this breach in privacy.

[whateverpedia]

Originally Posted by Martin.Avis

If, as a marketer, you can't see how you can make money out of the sense of paranoia that is thrown up by this thead then yes, you did just waste 5 minutes.

Martin

Some of us had the sense to it last year.

[Fabian Tan]

Originally Posted by EWGQDD

1. If you use gmail, Google knows every word you wrote in email, to whom, which messages you read and when, and who you get email from -- even if the email is supposedly private.

Isn't this illegal, since a email should be private information, or do they somehow have a way around the law?

I do not use gmail, but if I did I would not be happy with this breach in privacy.

The information is stored on their servers, so technically they can access it.

Think of certain crimes. Someone commits suicide for no apparent reason. His/her email messages are probably going to be scrutinized.

Yes, morbid as it sounds, there is no privacy even AFTER death.

Fabian

[MarkAse]

Just imagine if G could ever get into FB.....

[Marian Berghes]

Here is an interesting article over at Mashable.

CEO of Mozilla advices Firefox users to use Bing instead of Google because Bing has a better Privacy Policy, after Schimdt's recent speech on privacy policy.

Mozilla Guy to Users: Leave Google, Switch to Bing

Opinions?

[Mark Flavin]

Here's a quote from Google's CEO Eric Schmidt “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place,”

I think this is possibly one of the most stupid statements anyone could ever make. The right to privacy should and is supposed to be one of the founding principles of America & many other countries (even tho you wouldn't think it nowadays).

I understand Google is going to know your browsing preferences and I'm fine with that, what I'm not ok with is that the CEO of the company with all that information has such a dim view on one of our basic rights.

I did an article about this ( markflavinblog.com/google/googles-new-view-on-pirvacy-if-youve-got-something-you-dont-want-google-to-know-you-shouldnt-be-doing-it )
and the irony is that a couple years back Mr Schmidt blacklisted CNET for publishing info about him gleaned from Google searches.

[Steve Wells]

Someone should bring a lawsuit against them for breaking privacy laws, I know they have lots of money, but if it gets to the supreme court they shouldn't win.

Privacy has nothing to do with if you are doing something wrong or not. No one should have access to your emails UNLESS you are marked as a threat to the U.S. Security and the U.S. Public, then I can see some wire tapping going on, right or not. But they should also have some substantial proof to do it and there should be a backend compensation if they are wrong and harm yuor credibility or finances in any way they should be held liable by law, that way they would maybe be a little more cautious?

[JohnMcCabe]

Originally Posted by EWGQDD

Someone should bring a lawsuit against them for breaking privacy laws, I know they have lots of money, but if it gets to the supreme court they shouldn't win.

Privacy has nothing to do with if you are doing something wrong or not. No one should have access to your emails UNLESS you are marked as a threat to the U.S. Security and the U.S. Public, then I can see some wire tapping going on, right or not. But they should also have some substantial proof to do it and there should be a backend compensation if they are wrong and harm yuor credibility or finances in any way they should be held liable by law, that way they would maybe be a little more cautious?

Other than using a mechanical process to possibly target the ads shown on your gmail account, do you have any credible evidence that Google has broken any email-related privacy laws? Just because the data exists on their servers doesn't mean the company is doing anything - legal or otherwise - with that data.

It's like the Tiger Woods scandal - if you don't want to get caught at something, don't leave a paper trail.

You don't want Google to know what's in your email? Don't use Gmail.

You don't want Google to know you look at dirty pictures? Don't Google for them, and don't use Google tools that give them explicit permission to monitor what you look at.

I'm not pointing at you personally, EWGQDD, whoever you are. But the fact that this thread is still active, and there's so much righteous wrath about something that no one has proved is actually happening, that I'm starting to think there are too many posters wearing tinfoil hats...

[ishan]

Agree with Red_Virus! Google may become Skynet! It is really surprising that Google knows so much about us. However, they assure that no info is sold/shared with anyone. Our data is in safe hands!

[Marian Berghes]

Google still gathers data about you even if you don't use any type of google service AT ALL.

If you read their privacy policy you will see that they have the right to access and collect information from partner sites as well...partner sites meaning that if you go to a website that uses Google Analytics, Google will gather data about you.

That website uses Webmaster tools, they gather data about you, you go fill a survey form made trough Google Docs, they gather data about you.

So the argument of "you don't want them to know just don't use any google service" is invalid in my eyes.

[JohnMcCabe]

Originally Posted by Marian Berghes

Google still gathers data about you even if you don't use any type of google service AT ALL.

If you read their privacy policy you will see that they have the right to access and collect information from partner sites as well...partner sites meaning that if you go to a website that uses Google Analytics, Google will gather data about you.

That website uses Webmaster tools, they gather data about you, you go fill a survey form made trough Google Docs, they gather data about you.

So the argument of "you don't want them to know just don't use any google service" is invalid in my eyes.

Fair enough, but it begs the point about the difference between Google (or anyone else) having data about you scattered through their database, and "knowing stuff" about you.

I have a double garage filled with packing cartons from our Florida move four years ago. I helped pack those cartons, they are filled with my stuff, so I should know what's in them, right?

The trick is, there is so much stuff out there that I couldn't tell you anymore what is out there, much less where to find it. If it became important enough, I could sift through the boxes and find out, but most of that stuff just isn't that important at this point. It's good enough that I have the cartons.

For any average individual, the same idea applies. Until I get some evidence that my data is being used for some nefarious purpose, it's just stuff in a carton in Google's digital garage. They may have it, but unless it becomes important, they won't look for it.

[Matt Maiden]

I don't get all of the paranoia about Google.

Where have you guys been out in the "real world"?

Any little hole-in-the-wall cafe' that you have eaten at has your credit card info.

Your bank sells your information to telemarketers all of the time.

If you have ever been to any mall you are on at least 35 cameras from every angle.

Any car lot that you bought a car from can track your ass down to get their car back.

So Google knows what you search for and it's the end of the world?

Geez.

Matt

[Steve Wells]

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Other than using a mechanical process to possibly target the ads shown on your gmail account, do you have any credible evidence that Google has broken any email-related privacy laws? Just because the data exists on their servers doesn't mean the company is doing anything - legal or otherwise - with that data.

It's like the Tiger Woods scandal - if you don't want to get caught at something, don't leave a paper trail.

You don't want Google to know what's in your email? Don't use Gmail.

You don't want Google to know you look at dirty pictures? Don't Google for them, and don't use Google tools that give them explicit permission to monitor what you look at.

I'm not pointing at you personally, EWGQDD, whoever you are. But the fact that this thread is still active, and there's so much righteous wrath about something that no one has proved is actually happening, that I'm starting to think there are too many posters wearing tinfoil hats...

LOL! I am not the one accusing Google, somone else has done that, I am just commenting on that if they are invading privacy they should be sued.

As for passing content on gmail, I dont have a gmail account, as for dirty pictures, thats not my thing either.

[abdin66]

I always liked to believe that someone was watching us... unfortunately it was usually the Government but now big G has taken over that role more effectively.

I have heard that quote about G as Skynet a few times now and it may be more prophetic than we want to believe.

Can many of us operate our online businesses better, more efficiently or profitably without G? I don't know!

Someone more intelligent than I once said that 'Nature abhors a vacuum'. Meaning that something or someone would ALWAYS appear and fufill the need or demand.

If Einstein wasn't born another scientist would have made the same scientific discoveries.

If Google hadn't appeared we can be certain a 'googlish' type of corporate entity would have materialised offering us free email, docs, search etc.

Be afraid... very afraid! Or. In the end, everything will be OK.

Take your pick.

[MichaelHiles]

Originally Posted by jasondinner

Maybe Google's next plan is to recruit US Citizens to overthrow their own government
just like the colonists did to the British a couple hundred years ago.

Naah... Eric Schmidt is a Obama fawning NWO oligarch.

[khairulazan]

What google can do to harm us for the 15 things that the G knows about us?