Google To The President: Leave Us Out of Your Spying Fight

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
What is the difference between the government harvesting your personal data and Google doing it? Do you think the average person on the street knows the difference? Think about it. :eek:

On the one hand, the Internet behemoth wants the public to know it’s outraged by U.S. surveillance programs and is aggressively lobbying for new rules to keep its customers’ data safe from the government’s prying eyes. But as public attention turns to data privacy, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and other tech giants want to be sure that their own data-gathering practices don’t get lumped in with the federal spying programs that are the target of popular ire.
 
Well, obviously they want to make sure people know it's okay if a private corporation does it!
 
Well, obviously they want to make sure people know it's okay if a private corporation does it!

That's not their fault people don't want to read the contract. If you don't like Google don't use them. They have every right to see what your searching because you agreed to it.
 
“Companies have very specific relationships with their users, and they tell them what they’re doing with their data,” the tech lobbyist said, adding that it is an “apples and oranges” comparison to NSA surveillance.


Good luck making common sense out of the vagaries in most companies long-winded privacy policies. So while this is technically accurate, in actuality, I think the majority of users don't have a clue what those privacy policies mean in plain English.
 
That's not their fault people don't want to read the contract. If you don't like Google don't use them. They have every right to see what your searching because you agreed to it.

Please, discontinue using any websites that send info to Google and tell me how the internet is. On this page alone Disconnect (addon) tells me that 5 requests are going to google. Where did I sign that contract?
 
That's not their fault people don't want to read the contract. If you don't like Google don't use them. They have every right to see what your searching because you agreed to it.

If you don't want the USPS reading every letter you write, you shouldn't use their service.

Oh wait, before it was all digital there was some weird expectation of privacy. Commies.
 
One can imprison you, kill you, or make you disappear. The other can't. Of course, if the government has unimpeded access to Google's data (via the NSA, Patriot Act, or whatever), there's effectively no difference, which is reason enough for Google to want the government kept at bay.
 
That's not their fault people don't want to read the contract. If you don't like Google don't use them. They have every right to see what your searching because you agreed to it.

Your phone GPS location, the apps you have on it, the calls you make, the pics you capture, the texts you send all end up in Google's authority to collect if you're using an Android phone. They then associate that with your e-mail, your social networking, every ad banner for Google's pervasive ad services, you searches, and the sites you visit (if you're using Chrome). The YouTube videos you watch. Even if you disagree with Google, you're gonna have a very hard time getting away from them. A lot of those things are impossible to avoid and even if you don't consent, Google will still continue to collect data and associate it with you. If you ask them, they'll give you your entire search history dating back like 8+ years that they recorded. Avoid them if you can, but they're still out there watching, gathering, logging, and mining totally outside of any agreement or disagreement you have with them.
 
Google said the same thing to China, but that didn't stop them from shrugging it off and continue to provide services. This is just PR. They datamine just like any other services and agencies.
 
One can imprison you, kill you, or make you disappear. The other can't.

Because there isn't a Private Company running mercenaries in Ukrain right now.
 
Of course they will. It's almost all of their revenue stream to make money from the services they offer by mining them. They can't stop using the Creepy Google Candy Van to lure people in and dig through their stuff, it'd bankrupt them pretty much instantly to become non-intrusive and honest.
 
Please, discontinue using any websites that send info to Google and tell me how the internet is. On this page alone Disconnect (addon) tells me that 5 requests are going to google. Where did I sign that contract?

That's as dumb as saying I don't want to use a computer because it records my history. You liberals crack me up. Just stay away from Google. It's not your fault other sites use Google. The web is a lot like the real world. Would you go around and walk into random houses(websites) and not expect to be noticed? Bottom line is don't like it don't use it. Quit complaining your entitled to nothing.
 
Your phone GPS location, the apps you have on it, the calls you make, the pics you capture, the texts you send all end up in Google's authority to collect if you're using an Android phone. They then associate that with your e-mail, your social networking, every ad banner for Google's pervasive ad services, you searches, and the sites you visit (if you're using Chrome). The YouTube videos you watch. Even if you disagree with Google, you're gonna have a very hard time getting away from them. A lot of those things are impossible to avoid and even if you don't consent, Google will still continue to collect data and associate it with you. If you ask them, they'll give you your entire search history dating back like 8+ years that they recorded. Avoid them if you can, but they're still out there watching, gathering, logging, and mining totally outside of any agreement or disagreement you have with them.

When you put it like that it sounds creepy... :(
 
That's as dumb as saying I don't want to use a computer because it records my history. You liberals crack me up. Just stay away from Google. It's not your fault other sites use Google. The web is a lot like the real world. Would you go around and walk into random houses(websites) and not expect to be noticed? Bottom line is don't like it don't use it. Quit complaining your entitled to nothing.

Huh? Yeah, that's a "liberal" issue.... :rolleyes:

Prior to the internet and computers, I'm pretty sure people would have a fit if a store employee followed them around and recorded every detail of their visit, their age, appearance, etc, then followed them out of the store as they continued to browse other stores in the area. Then, if they bought a product, following that person home and logging their location every few seconds or minutes so long as they had the product on their person.

But if it's all done automatically by a computer, this is somehow more acceptable.
 
Huh? Yeah, that's a "liberal" issue.... :rolleyes:

Prior to the internet and computers, I'm pretty sure people would have a fit if a store employee followed them around and recorded every detail of their visit, their age, appearance, etc, then followed them out of the store as they continued to browse other stores in the area. Then, if they bought a product, following that person home and logging their location every few seconds or minutes so long as they had the product on their person.

But if it's all done automatically by a computer, this is somehow more acceptable.

Let's just put it this way. You think one thing I think a different thing. Although It's their company and I believe they should be able to do whatever they feel like. For some odd reason you don't like it although it will probably never effect your life. Your opinion is ludicrous and it really doesn't matter because it won't change anything. I think what Google is doing is perfectly fine. People with your opinions wont stop them from going about their business.

Alternatively instead of waiting for things to change just start a movement and figure out a way to get around Google. The only reason you people are so upset about this is because you don't profit from it. Make something that you do profit off of which surpasses Google. Instead you are all here complaining lol.
 
Alternatively instead of waiting for things to change just start a movement and figure out a way to get around Google. The only reason you people are so upset about this is because you don't profit from it. Make something that you do profit off of which surpasses Google. Instead you are all here complaining lol.

The reason we are upset is because companies like Google make sure that our voices are never heard when relevant laws are passed, because its ran by people like you that think the world is about profits and that people shouldn't have certain basic rights.

A lot of people are upset about this, a lot of people want things to change, but we don't have a couple million to throw at congress to make them see our side of things.

Are you the same guy that thought up "If we kill net neutrality, ISP prices will go down"?
 
That's not their fault people don't want to read the contract. If you don't like Google don't use them. They have every right to see what your searching because you agreed to it.
If you have time to examine each EULA you come across in life in detail I want your job. And if you're claiming everyone else should be expected to read it, you must have a job as a lawyer for such a corporate bureaucracy.

And the problem with your assumption is that the company stays on contract.

The underlying purpose put on the walls of the NSA is to protect the public. The underlying purpose for Google is to exploit customer data for profit. If we can't trust the NSA to stay on mission and not abuse the data they collect. Why would we expect Google to be any better.

Google has all this great search technology. How many minutes would it take them to find gmails of kept women (and boys) in Washington. You get a list and you call in tips to reporters (so there's an alternate discovery trail) on the politicians on the side of an issue you disagree with or a party you don't like and you just tilted a vote or an entire congress to your favor. Even if a politician is careful the people around him likely aren't. The ability to find dirt is endless.

But no, they're just looking for demographic ad data only, ever. Naive.
 
Please, discontinue using any websites that send info to Google and tell me how the internet is. On this page alone Disconnect (addon) tells me that 5 requests are going to google. Where did I sign that contract?

you're on someone elses' website.

Hardforum is probably using google adsense and google analytics. That is hardforum's choice not google's.
 
Doesn't take a rocket scientist:

Private corporation is using automated tools that collect information for purposes such as targeted advertising, no human intervention is needed in the process, just automated analysis for the purpose of product placement.

Government stores your data for potential data mining, may or may not be automated, but the important part is they in theory can target any citizen and have the power to silence, intimidate, blackmail or legally dispose of him should they feel he's a threat of some sort. It's a solid road to a future police state.


The former is annoying and invasive, the latter is a threat to democracy itself.
 
Because there isn't a Private Company running mercenaries in Ukrain right now.

If there is, chances are that they draw a check from the cia. Or USAID. Same thing more or less.

Why should Blackwater, I mean Xe Services, er I mean Academi, have all the fun? :D
 
Doesn't take a rocket scientist:

Private corporation is using automated tools that collect information for purposes such as targeted advertising, no human intervention is needed in the process, just automated analysis for the purpose of product placement.

Government stores your data for potential data mining, may or may not be automated, but the important part is they in theory can target any citizen and have the power to silence, intimidate, blackmail or legally dispose of him should they feel he's a threat of some sort. It's a solid road to a future police state.


The former is annoying and invasive, the latter is a threat to democracy itself.

Most likely it will be corporations that lead to the fall of democracy, not this antiquated cold-war police-state world view.
 
Last I recall google was in bed with Obama, now they have morning after guilt?
 
Last I recall google was in bed with Obama, now they have morning after guilt?

No, more like damage control just in case someone was thinking about going iOS for their next phone/tablet. Otherwise, complete and utter bullshit from Google PR's "Don't Be Evil" hypocrisy as usual.
 
More like, "hey regulate the government, but we're ok". Their so scared of the implications of Obama's statement because it would literally gut Googles current business model, so frightened that they are pushing the government out to arms length so people don't associate the two in their minds.
 
Private corporation is using automated tools that collect information for purposes such as targeted advertising, no human intervention is needed in the process, just automated analysis for the purpose of product placement
Because you reviewed All of google's code and all their operations to know for a fact they only use automated tools and benign anonymous data collection?

And in the same vain, the NSA is only going too look at your data if you're a terrorist so why worry?
 
The reason we are upset is because companies like Google make sure that our voices are never heard when relevant laws are passed, because its ran by people like you that think the world is about profits and that people shouldn't have certain basic rights.

A lot of people are upset about this, a lot of people want things to change, but we don't have a couple million to throw at congress to make them see our side of things.

Are you the same guy that thought up "If we kill net neutrality, ISP prices will go down"?

So this is what liberals actually believe? "There making profit off of us! Stop them!" Calm down. They have every right to do what they do. Don't like it start a revolution...Oh wait! That costs money which nobody has. People didn't like IBM what did they do? They didn't complain about it all the time. They just made something better. The fact that other websites use Google is not Google's fault. Google provides better service at an affordable price. This is what a good business does. On top of that the give me great SEO. Their is no problem with this. I'm done replying to you obviously don"t know how a business works.

Google has all this great search technology. How many minutes would it take them to find gmails of kept women (and boys) in Washington. You get a list and you call in tips to reporters (so there's an alternate discovery trail) on the politicians on the side of an issue you disagree with or a party you don't like and you just tilted a vote or an entire congress to your favor. Even if a politician is careful the people around him likely aren't. The ability to find dirt is endless.

But no, they're just looking for demographic ad data only, ever. Naive.

So you use there products and complain? Yeah...I'm taking you seriously. There a business and they do whatever they feel like. If it bothers you turn your computer off and go outside.
 
Kotak...why are you even so excited about liberals? Who cares about party politics in relationship to Google data mining and reselling its users? It'd do that regardless of who commented on it or what they thought about politics.

I swear, it must be like an election year because everyone everywhere is all huffy and frazzled about using political name-calling online.
 
Most likely it will be corporations that lead to the fall of democracy, not this antiquated cold-war police-state world view.

I agree about this, but not because of the targeted ads angle, rather it's because money in politics makes buying legislation the way we are governed, and it'll probably just keep getting worse.

Recent example:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...y-senator-examining-time-warner-cable-merger/

Because you reviewed All of google's code and all their operations to know for a fact they only use automated tools and benign anonymous data collection?

And in the same vain, the NSA is only going too look at your data if you're a terrorist so why worry?

What's to stop the NSA from looking at your data if you're in, say, Occupy movement or the Tea party? What's to stop gov entities from getting rid of opposition in this manner?

History can repeat itself, look up how gov powers in intelligence gathering on its own citizens eventually gave birth to the infamous Gustapo.

People have a very strange trust in government in the strangest places, it boggles the mind.
 
No, more like damage control just in case someone was thinking about going iOS for their next phone/tablet. Otherwise, complete and utter bullshit from Google PR's "Don't Be Evil" hypocrisy as usual.

Yup. Google is in bed with lots of academic and government agencies with non-intelligence based contracts and then some with intelligence based contracts.
 
Isn't a main difference that Google would not be involved in someone using Firefox on Mint for banking, legal matters, etc. and a government has that capability?

Don't forget about Optic Nerve, GCHQ using U.S. webcams on Yahoo, and that's just a tiny fraction of what was going on.
 
Back
Top