In the past we have heard some of you express concern over Google’s storage of personal data. It’s simply part of their business that they store bits of information from their users, but they always pledge to keep that information private. They’ve changed their privacy policy on several occasions, and once again they have changed it. This most recent change should help their users feel just a bit better about the storage of their personal data.
According to Reuters, Google is significantly reducing the amount of time that they store your data. Previously they kept personal data for about 18 months, but now it has been cut in half to nine months. Google commented on this change saying:
We’re significantly shortening our previous 18-month retention policy to address regulatory concerns and to take another step to improve privacy for our users
Is this a necessary move for Google to make or have you always felt confident that Google handled your private information appropriately, whether they held onto it for 18 months or 9 months?
How sweet. This initiative is only “the tree that hides the forest”, the forest being data of personal though anonymous behavior of Web users. The concern is not privacy in the sens a relationship between my identity and my behavior, but between my specificity and my habits. Consequently the argument is less political than philosophical : do I want to nourish, even anonymously, statistics which are aimed to mass distribution of advertisement campaigns by means of targeted populations or not ? If not, then stay private by all means; if yes, then start undressing yourself.
I’m not sure I understand what all the fuss is about. The only information Google has access to is what you give them. You want Gmail, then their servers have to be able to read your email. You want to search using their engine, then you have to tell the engine what you’re searching for. You can choose what services to use, taking their privacy policy into account. Ultimately though, you should assume that everything you do on the Internet can be observed and recorded (and not just by Google), since it’s a public space. If you don’t want that to happen for private communications then use a secure encrypted channel such as SSH, encrypt your email messages or use a secure anonymous proxy to browse the web. Why are you worried that Google remembers you searching for whatever – what harm does it do?
Conchur…That’s not 100% true. Google collects data from other sources, as well, and on most of your favorite sites.
They know almost every site you visit and what you do when you are there, what you click, where you go next, and what you do when you are there, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew your login info (username/pass) for most sites you use.
How many sites are using Google Analytics? How about Adsense? What data are they collecting there? I bet they collect a lot more data than they give webmasters or advertisers access to.
I know for a fact that Yahoo can and does collect information of what links you are clicking, on a lot of blogs, and not just Yahoo ad links…everything. And they are selling this information.
It’s called MyBlogLog, and the tracking code is on this very page, so you are contributing to Yahoo’s data pool of personal information right this minute. Were you informed and asked to give your concent to this collection of your personal surfing habits? Nope.
I am sure Google is doing the same on every site that has the Analytics or Adsense code added to it. And that’s a lot of sites…and there is no little popup window on the sites that gives you the option to opt out and keep your behaviors private.
Unless you know how to stop the scripts from loading and block the cookies, they are collecting data on you without your conscent. And for most people, without their knowledge, too.
And AOL showed the world what is wrong with a search engine remembering what you search for and what kind of harm it can do, when they had that big security breach that released a chunk of that data to the public. Data that could be used, in some cases, to steal someone’s identity and cause them great harm.
Still think it’s no big deal or that you can avoid the tracking?
If people have real issues with privacy, their best solution is to simply avoid using the Internet because many, many sites out there are collecting their data.
whow, what a thoughtful statement!
you are working on the decomposition of my sympathies for this site.
I use Firefox with Adblock, NoScript and CookieSafe – so Yahoo and Google don’t get to see too much of my browsing habits beyond what I do directly on their sites. There’s always going to be server-side tracking stuff that you can’t avoid, everyone leaves a trail. But I like to think I’m leaving the minimum – just on principle!
So I still think it’s no big deal to me. Anyone who wants to communicate securely can (and should) do some research to understand the risks involved, and take steps to minimise that risk.
I agree with your point that tracking is pervasive and difficult to escape, but I think of it as an unavoidable part of using the Internet in its current form. I guess it’s a worthwhile compromise that I make for the convenience of having so much data at our fingertips. Obviously I’d prefer it wasn’t there, but then I like to look and see who’s been visiting my websites, what part of the world they’re from etc…
Sometimes you have to point out the obvious. It’s a fact that websites out there are collecting data from Internet users and some collect more than Google. If people have serious issues with sites collecting their data and they are going to whine and complain about it, they shouldn’t be using the Internet.
nice try of a rationalization for something like “America love it or leave it” (don’t know if you’re old enough to rem that). this is a mindset not an argument.