Hi all, Is Google collecting Private data adout the Internet Surfer ? I have some points to say. Google has lot of APPS like Tool Bar, Desktop Search, Gmail Notifier, Google pack, Earth, Picasa, Video & a lot ................. So i feel that it has a lot of possible ways to collect Private data or inturn call "SPY" about what all the internet surfer does ? not just Search's but every page he open's and what else ? Also by their free services no body is bothered about what backend gaame they are playing. Need some details and opinions about this !!! >>>
Every government body, NGO's, private companies, individuals collect data, why would they be any different Of course they collect data
then why would we use Anti Spyware >>>> even that is a data collection as well ... Please get to the level of the data collection
You have to ask yourself a better question, is anything private any more? With all those Terms and Conditions before you install programs, you may just cycle through them but they ceremoniously strip you of your privacy. You just have to look at the telecommunications giant AT&T - they trace everything you do - its no longer your data, its theirs and you must agree to it or you simply can't use their services (broadband, etc).
Boldy, Interesting... lol. Jinx! We posted about nearly the same thing around the same time : http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=135557 Yea, I think they are collecting a bit too much, very odd, a little scary.
Google is one of the biggest companies that collect private data from users. If you have the Google toolbar then they collect every site you visit. They have more data then you can imagine.
What do you mean by private date? a) identifiable info or b) search history? AFAIK it doesn't make a difference if they are collecting what I surf, where I go, what I do, as long as it's not being shared with unreliable third parties. Of course, I am not in the favor of giving my credit card details or other such personal info to anyone & neither does G collect it through the apps.
Endurer how in the world could you say that you don't care if they collect your private data. You don't know what kind of stuff they are doing with it.
What's private data, again? I am not saying that I don't care if they spy on me, if they are stealing my passwords, my CC info et al. All I am saying is that if G keeps records of the searches I made through it's web search then I don't have a 'real' problem with it. As a matter of fact, I have already signed up for their search history service.
As I remember, at the mozilla firefox terms write something about collecting data which you have to agree with these terms before you have downloaded it. So, I think google doesn't hide its activities on collecting data. I think the case is whether our data are disclosed or not.
exactly 'makeit easy' - For example, installing google toolbar "READ BELOW - THIS ISNT THE USUAL YARDA YARDA!!" in red is written at setup.. well they then explain that by having pagerank checker ENABLED, they must collect every page you use into their system (no doubt tracking it with your IP etc too) to then display the pagerank for that site..
I posted this article about google listening through your microphone to target ads to what is on your TV in [url="http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=135557]another thread.[/url] I think it's all very scary, especially with what they did in China... they need to think carefully about what they do.
Why do you think they initially developed the toolbar through google labs? It's an ethical, legitimate way for them to obtain vitally commercial important information. Funny how these "new" things always happen before an IPO isn't it?
With the Aol search data released - there is nothing to distinguish identifiable info or search history - they are the same. There is no such thing as privacy - it is only bureaucratic privacy that exists, but every single thing you do or say on the internet is logged and traceable back to you. For legal reasons it is fine if it was called for - however, for marketing it just means a tonne more junk mail and spam and needless invasion of time and energy.
it seems that we have reached a stage where willingly or un willingly we are bound to give Google the SPYING rights ?
Here's a Times article on this very subject: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9071-2309765.html