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"Do no evil" but do you trust Google?

by Josh Anderson
10 replies
Google probably knows more about our online behaviors than any other company on the web today.

Their data including personally identifiable data such as the searches you do and the sites you visit are used by wold governments and law enforcement agencies in prosecutions and by companies to deliver targeted advertising.

They provide email services where they spider and catalog your private email conversations...

They have worked on developing technology that can listen in to the sounds around you and target you with content based on those sounds...

They have used a popular toolbar to track and collect your patterns and behaviors...

They developed and released a new browser which one of the primary goals during installation is to get you to agree to allow them to track and collect more data on your behaviors and experience while using their browser...

We all know that traditional media like TV is censored and crafted to guide you into preselected decisions that large corporations, media publishing empires and their advertising partners, and world governments have laid out before you in order to lead you to make the choices they want you to make.

Even cable tv which pretends to deliver you the content "you want" is really just a small selection of content that the cable provider wants you to be able to choose from.

Now with Google Chrome coming out... besides the known security holes they need to plug before I will use it again I have another reservation in using it...

I use other Google services a lot... everything from search to email to video to phone service (yes google has a phone service)...

But do I really want google to have this must access to my life?

Do I want the largest repository of data for internet searches and if not already soon to be the largest repository on individual web user behaviors to have that much insight into my online life?

I don't have anything to hide... but they are all ready influencing the sites I visit by controlling the results of the searches I do and they are all ready serving me targeted ads and even videos every time I visit a site they own...

For this reason I will likely continue to use firefox... and I all ready do not use the google toolbar...

We are just giving one company too much power... even if they claim that their code of conduct is "do no evil."

They do provide us and will continue to provide us with the highest quality free services on the net and for that reason it is hard to abstain...

It will always be in the best interest of internet users to continue to support significant competition between browsers as well as search engines and email services etc.
#do no evil #google #trust
  • Profile picture of the author Ephrils
    I'll be sticking to Firefox too Josh. It feels like now, with the browser, they're not even trying to hide the fact on information gathering of anyone and everyone they can.

    I'm not gonna be part of their internet takeover.
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    • Profile picture of the author Internet Income
      Josh, I third that, I'll be sticking with Firefox as well, why change!
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      • Profile picture of the author SaSeoPete
        I agree, if it aint broke don't fix it! I have always been a FireFox fan no reason to change.
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        • Profile picture of the author Chuck Evans
          Shades of Orsen Wells!

          It's not just Google but ANY program, OS, or browser collects information about the user whether we know it or not. I wouldn't worry about it. At the end of the day does it make your life easier or your business more money.

          If so use it, if not...don"t.

          I've installed Chrome and have NOT had a single problem unlike the other browsers FF and IE. And EVERY OS has SOME holes and/or bugs in it, otherwise they would'nt be updated except for new cool tools that it will do!

          chuck
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          • Profile picture of the author David Raybould
            Hi Josh,

            Yes I think I agree with you...I've often wondered about all the stuff they can track with analytics/adwords and all their other tools. I can only imagine somewhere they have some huge database containing the kind of information any marketer would kill to have lol...

            Not sure how I feel about them having it though, I think people forget that Google is just a company trying to make a buck too, so it does make me wonder about their motivations for things...

            David
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  • Profile picture of the author Lightlysalted
    I won't be downlaoding the google chrome browser because google already have enough information on me. Whilst I'm not paranoid, I do think it is unwise to have all your details with one organisation, because all it needs is a good hacker to open up Google and they have absolutely everything. To top it off I was walking down the road yesterday only to see the google vehicle with it's fixed cameras driving alone, taking footage for Google earth. I resent being filmed to be honest!
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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Lockwood
      Great post, Josh. I'm continually amazed how the same people who are afraid to give out their email address for "privacy" concerns think nothing of Google collecting all this data on us.

      If anyone else created Chrome, people would be calling it what it really is- spyware.
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    • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
      Since this is a forum to discuss marketing, online business and making money, I'me going to play devel's advocate here. As marketers, don't you do the exact same thing as Google, except perhaps on a much smaller scale?
      Smaller scale is the key.

      Once you have the data you can do some amazing things to manipulate people on a grand scale.

      That's marketing.

      People trust Google.

      Google is doing nothing more than any smart business person would do. Grabbing valid data, analyzing it and then using the results to steer their efforts in the right direction.
      Are you sure? What is that direction?

      Remember we are talking about more than search results... we are talking about analyzing where you go, what you search, indexing email, they are also moving into telecommunications with Grand Central and eventually the g phone. And they have worked to develop audio technology to listen in on your surroundings.

      I've never really understood this whole outrage over personally identifiable data.
      In the US our right to privacy is a fundamental right that Americans have fought and died for. So its pretty important to most.

      Outrage only comes when it is abused...

      No outrage.

      Just some thought about the value of healthy competition and anti trust issues.

      Food for thought.
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      • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
        Yes Google has worked on developing eavesdropping technology for listening in on you and delivering targeted content based on what they hear:

        Google Research prototypes ambient audio contextual content

        Of course this would be on a voluntary level because without the voluntary component it would be highly illegal... so people would have to want Google to listen to what they are doing and sell them stuff based on what is going on around them ;-)

        THEY HAVE???

        That's actually kind of scary.

        Big brother like.

        Neat from a tech. way of seeing things.

        But scary as a normally functioning human being.


        Quote:
        Originally Posted by Josh Anderson
        They have worked on developing technology that can listen in to the sounds around you and target you with content based on those sounds...
        Also has anyone ever got the message on Youtube.com when they first visit that says something like:

        "It looks like you have a google account would you like to connect your google account?"

        Google wants to be able to track your behavior and preferences across every application they have their hands on so that they best know how to target you with advertising and products and services.

        Harmless enough right?

        Fall in love with everything Google offers and connect all your google accounts together and in the future they might be able to...

        Track:

        Phone habits
        Email content
        Search habits
        Surfing Patterns
        Voice mail content
        Ambient noise patterns in your home
        Online video viewing habits

        What's next G Food?
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  • Profile picture of the author J. Barry Mandel
    THEY HAVE???

    That's actually kind of scary.

    Big brother like.

    Neat from a tech. way of seeing things.

    But scary as a normally functioning human being.


    Originally Posted by Josh Anderson View Post

    They have worked on developing technology that can listen in to the sounds around you and target you with content based on those sounds...
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