Google announces privacy settings change across products; users can't opt out

Google announces privacy settings change across products; users can't opt out

www .washingtonpost.com

Google said Tuesday it will require users to allow the company to follow their activities across e-mail, search, YouTube and other services, a radical shift in strategy that is expected to invite greater scrutiny of its privacy and competitive practices.

The information will enable Google to develop a fuller picture of how people use its growing empire of Web sites. Consumers will have no choice but to accept the changes.

The policy will take effect March 1 and will also impact Android mobile phone users, who are required to log in to Google accounts when they activate their phones.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm already sick of Google and their cooperation with the Police State, but this news makes me want to cancel anything to do with Google.

I know this would be difficult to do but I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of my smartphone because it's nothing but a data mining tool for the alphabet agencies. Normally I have the "I have nothing to hide so don't worry" attitude but all this spying and loss of privacy is getting out of hand.

The thing is, they have already been monitoring and storing all our data, I doubt opting out would have made that big of difference but their blatant in your face attitude is overwhelming. Add this to all the other internet privacy laws that have been in the news it's enough to drive a sane person crazy.

www .washingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Google is a MONSTER

Google trades today @ 580 dollars a share

Now correct me if I am wrong, but other than a SEARCH engine, what TANGIBLE product does google produce other than selling the data they receive...

DATA ON YOU AND ME.

I sorta chuckle when you see all this drama and attention right now on the mega upload guy when in the past you could google a warez release title and it would link you to mega upload.

You don't see the feds knocking on googles door....

Google sure is getting ballsy. Guess I have to go back to Firefox. So long Goog.

Originally posted by Zaanny
Google is a MONSTER

Google trades today @ 580 dollars a share

Now correct me if I am wrong, but other than a SEARCH engine, what TANGIBLE product does google produce other than selling the data they receive...

Gmail
Google Earth
Google Maps
Google Docs
Google Calendar
Photo hosting
Blogger
YouTube

Those are just the ones I use everyday.....

ETA: ad revenue is their cash cow, which of course goes hand-in-hand with data mining----so they can sell to you better. Not so they can be a data funnel for the government (as if the government needed anyone to do that for them, or needed an agreement to take that data from Google if they wanted it).

reply to post by 00nunya00


And all of those are free to use applications that FARM your data.....

Originally posted by Zaanny
reply to post by 00nunya00

 

And all of those are free to use applications that FARM your data.....

And then try to sell you stuff with the info they've received. If you don't click on their ads, bwahaha---Google defeated. Free services for nothing but data that was never private anyways, once you transmitted it through an ISP.

ETA: don't you think ATS is paying attention to what you click on, what pages you came from/leave to, etc, so they can serve you better ads?

Originally posted by Zaanny
reply to post by 00nunya00

 

And all of those are free to use applications that FARM your data.....

Its the same as facebook
How is facebook a multi-million dollar industry, yet they offer a free service?

Sell our info.

I guess this means the only way to opt out is not be a user. deal.

so long google.

Too bad no other search engine is as good as Google's. Too bad no other video uploading service is as good as google's. Too bad no other emailing service is as good as google's.

Originally posted by AzureSky

Originally posted by Zaanny
reply to post by 00nunya00

 

And all of those are free to use applications that FARM your data.....

Its the same as facebook
How is facebook a multi-million dollar industry, yet they offer a free service?

Sell our info.

But they don't even sell your important info---name, address, etc. It's all tied to an ID number that lists your sex, age, maybe marital status and if you have kids, location, etc. It's fairly anonymous marketing info (so long as the data-providing application isn't exploited, which has happened).

Am I the only one who doesn't expect a bunch of great services for completely free? WTF is wrong with this generation that you actually expected they were going to provide you with a free service forever, nothing it in for them? If you have an issue with your anonymous marketing info being collected and sold, by all means, don't use anything Google (including all the YouTube videos that make this site great).

We should get a list together of all the google products so that we can boycott them (and decent alternatives)

reply to post by calnorak


That would a be a good idea. I can get used to not using FB, but I use YT and other Google services very often. I'm guessing that a lot of the services I use are affiliated with Google without me even knowing about it.

Try www.ixquick.com... It's good, but not as good as google.

You can use Scroogle. Anonymous Google Searchs

Scroogle

And of course use Proxy Servers for everything online if you want to remain anonymous
Example

This is why, when google tried to make me get a google mail to log in to youtube, I just let it die. The problem I have is that they could just ask me what kind of ad's I want to see and be done with the snooping. I would be glad to see ad's for electronics, machines, lasers and video games, instead, I get "want to date a cougar?".

I think people wouldn't have a problem seeing ad's that applied to them, thats why I think they sell your info to the govt..

ATS Guide to Data Confidentiality - A MUST READ from BadFish
An excelent guide. It is a little technical, but there are ways like I posted above to help. It is something I intend to learn much more about the way thing are going.

ATS Guide to Data Confidentiality - A MUST READ

reply to post by spirit_horse


Thanks for the links, but are you aware of any proxys with full flash capability?

From what I hear proxys can't have full flash because it would expose some of the hidden info.


ETA:

The proxy you provided won't play YT vids, unless I'm doing something wrong.