by rob42 » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:12 pm
falkor wrote:Rob what exactly are the implications?
doesn't sound that alarming to me, you could start seeing a lot more Gap ads online later, suggesting jeans that go with that shirt? yeah? is that it?
To me Google provide a superb service to us, I was disappointed to see them shelve their video hosting - a great rival to YOUTUBE, they have now literally moved all the videos they previously held straight to YOUTUBE, some were uploaded 10 years ago
(I know because some of them were mine!)
Hi falkor. I'm not saying the Google don't deliver a superb service, mate — it's clear to see that it is one of the best, but at a (hidden) price. For me one of the issues is that Google do not respect your privacy: It mines data and sells that information for no other reason than financial gain under the pretense that you will get a better service from it. If users had a choice about what information Google could hold and distribute, then at least you could choose to participate or opt-out, but you don't. Of course Google should make money from the service, but do you not think that the advertising revenue alone should be enough? It's also one the the companies that should being paying way more in taxes to the UK (and other countries). But It is "proud" of the way in which it avoids paying taxes on the revenue it gains from the host country.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 11974.html
In the interests of balance...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall ... in-the-uk/
"
Google should recognise its obligations to countries like the UK from which it derives such huge benefits, and pay proper corporation tax on the profits it makes from economic activity here. It should be ashamed, not proud, to do anything less.”
— Margaret Hodge, chairman of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.
On a final note, the last para of that feature reads...
"
Of course, there is always the possibility that all of this information can be unencrypted and, in some cases, obtained by third-parties that you might not want prying into your personal business. Edwards notes in his report that Google does not explicitly note that intelligence used in Conversions API will be anonymized, but the blowback from not doing as much would sure be enough to start a colossal uproar. Meanwhile, however, all of the information being collected by Google — estimated to be on millions of servers around the globe — is being handed over to more than just advertising companies. Last month Google reported that the US government requested personal information from roughly 8,000 individual users during just the first few months of 2012."
People who are "tech savvy" can at least hide their IP address if they want to, giving them some privicy, but your average internet/google user has little idea what an IP address is, let alone how to hide it and what the implications are if you don't hide it.
My post was intended to bring to the attention of the reader the shadowy way in which Google could aid the "Big Brother" scenario (It's a way of "microchiping" the population by the backdoor, I.M.H.O) and the cavalier attitude it has when it comes to YOUR personal data. The scarey thing is what we don't know about how the information is used.
b.t.w. Does Google not own YOUTUBE
[quote="falkor"]Rob what exactly are the implications?
[quote]doesn't sound that alarming to me, you could start seeing a lot more Gap ads online later, suggesting jeans that go with that shirt? yeah? is that it? :blotto:
To me Google provide a superb service to us, I was disappointed to see them shelve their video hosting - a great rival to YOUTUBE, they have now literally moved all the videos they previously held straight to YOUTUBE, some were uploaded 10 years ago :narked: (I know because some of them were mine!)
[/quote][/quote]
Hi falkor. I'm not saying the Google don't deliver a superb service, mate — it's clear to see that it is one of the best, but at a (hidden) price. For me one of the issues is that Google do not respect your privacy: It mines data and sells that information for no other reason than financial gain under the pretense that you will get a better service from it. If users had a choice about what information Google could hold and distribute, then at least you could choose to participate or opt-out, but you don't. Of course Google should make money from the service, but do you not think that the advertising revenue alone should be enough? It's also one the the companies that should being paying way more in taxes to the UK (and other countries). But It is "proud" of the way in which it avoids paying taxes on the revenue it gains from the host country.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/google-boss-im-very-proud-of-our-tax-avoidance-scheme-8411974.html
In the interests of balance...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/08/09/is-google-avoiding-or-evading-taxes-in-the-uk/
"[i]Google should recognise its obligations to countries like the UK from which it derives such huge benefits, and pay proper corporation tax on the profits it makes from economic activity here. It should be ashamed, not proud, to do anything less.[/i]”
— Margaret Hodge, chairman of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.
On a final note, the last para of that feature reads...
"[i]Of course, there is always the possibility that all of this information can be unencrypted and, in some cases, obtained by third-parties that you might not want prying into your personal business. Edwards notes in his report that Google does not explicitly note that intelligence used in Conversions API will be anonymized, but the blowback from not doing as much would sure be enough to start a colossal uproar. Meanwhile, however, all of the information being collected by Google — estimated to be on millions of servers around the globe — is being handed over to more than just advertising companies. Last month Google reported that the US government requested personal information from roughly 8,000 individual users during just the first few months of 2012.[/i]"
People who are "tech savvy" can at least hide their IP address if they want to, giving them some privicy, but your average internet/google user has little idea what an IP address is, let alone how to hide it and what the implications are if you don't hide it.
My post was intended to bring to the attention of the reader the shadowy way in which Google could aid the "Big Brother" scenario (It's a way of "microchiping" the population by the backdoor, I.M.H.O) and the cavalier attitude it has when it comes to YOUR personal data. The scarey thing is what we don't know about how the information is used.
b.t.w. Does Google not own YOUTUBE :?:
;)