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Big Brother 2007: Google…. how much don’t they know about you?
About 5 years ago, I wrote a paper about the amounts of data credit centers have about each one of us. Last week there was some talk about Google and their new privacy policies around search data. Coming back from SXSW, I started to think about how much information Google actually has on each of us that use their services and have a Google account. Let's take a look, shall we? The assumptions here are that you have a Google account and that they log everything. Twitter-format.
- If you use Adwords, they know your marketing plan and they know your purchasing patterns.
- If you use Adsense, they know which of your sites makes money (though we know nothing sadly), they know how to target which ads to your site, they know how much to payout and how much to keep.
- If you use Alerts, they know what topics are important to you.
- If you use Analytics, they know which sites you control and/or monitor, how those sites are doing and every trend possible.
- If you use Blogger, they know what you write about. Every word, every phrase, every out and in link.
- If you use Calendar, they know where you have been, are, and plan to be.
- If you use Catalog search/Froogle, they know what items are of interest to you and which items you actually purchase.
- If you use Checkout, they know all of your personal information: name, address, phone, credit card, ccid.
- If you use Desktop, they know what you have on your PC.
- If you use Docs and Spreadsheets, they know that you are writing a paper on 13th century france, and your checking account is $30 overdrawn.
- If you use Earth, they know where on the planet you desire to research.
- If you use Finance, they know what stocks (and other instruments) you own, which you monitor, and which trends you follow.
- If you use Gmail, they know everything. Yep, everything.
- If you use Groups, they know you have a fetish for rare steaks and love art from Paris.
- If you use Image search, they know that you like Britney Spears and you have a craving for chocolate babaka and cat photos.
- If you use Local search, they know where you are now, and what you are interested in.
- If you use Maps, they know where you might be, where you might be going, where you have been.
- If you use Search (any Google search), Google knows every search you have ever made.
- If you use Talk, they know who your buddies are.
- If you use Toolbar, they know every web site you visit.
- If you use Translate, they know that you are learning German.
- If you use Video, the same applies as for YouTube.
- If you use YouTube, they know every video you have watched, what genres you like, which naughty videos you have watched, which ones you commented/favorited on, and the videos you have uploaded.
I am sure I missed some of the services Google offers. I don't share this information with you to scare you, just to make you think about how much information and how much of the Internet moves with Google. Think about the combinations from the information above that can be generated. Seriously, take a second and think about them. Is Google evil? No. Could I see Google having to split apart into multiple companies at some point in the next few years? Yes. Do you mind Google housing all of this data about you in return for free apps?
[...] He was able to do it for a short bit but eventually gave in. In late 2007, I took a look at just how much Google knew about you. Last year I updated the post to note that Google even knows where I [...]
Let’s just hope the U.S. government doesn’t decide to take over Google.
This article is a little absurd. Google has millions of users, so there is no way that a live person would be rifling through your internet life. If you have something to hide, then sure this might be an issue, but I don’t so I don’t mind. Lots of companies have information about you. Being anonymous is good, but at the same time, it breeds irresponsibility.
I can’t really tell if this article is criticizing google or not. If it isn’t, then so what? these are all kind of no brainers…
I sent Google a copy of my DNA and all my passwords for safe-keeping. I also have google phone service, google food, google air, and google vaccines. Especially google vaccines. I don’t want to get a “virus”, right?
To paraphrase a country western song, “Google’s great, beer is good and people are crazy” (if they are afraid of Google). Don’t waste your fear on Google. Save it for Microsoft.
So if google knows everything about a person since they use gmail, and knows all their search patterns since they use google to search, does that not mean that yahoo knows everything about you since you use their email?
I’m not sure why people are singling google out here. Any comany, and I mean ANY, that provides a public or private internet service has the ability to monitor usage, graph trends, read your email, etc. While google is the king daddy of free public apps, don’t for once think you’re safer because you use another free public app or a private pay service. They’re keeping tabs on you too.
I use google…but I never log on while I am searching. I use a router/firewall and I set Mozilla to clear all cache everytime I close.
[...] you wait for Gmail to return to service, check out all the ways Google tracks you online. centernetwork257:http://www.centernetworks.com/gmail-down RSS tweetmeme_style = [...]
My gmail is down and has been down for about an hour now. VERY frustrated as I use it for business.
Gmail is down in Oregon,
My god fricken ew,, Get it back up. I need it on now….
Good article, I translate this note in French to my blog I hope there is no problem with that (if there is any tell me I will delete it)
http://www.betamaniac.com/2007/03/21/big-brother-2007-google-en-sait-il-long-sur-vous/
Thanks for the translation! Sadly I used to be fluent in French but now can only make out about 30%… darn.
With the launch of Google Web History a few days ago Google is at least giving some of the information it has back to the users of the Google Toolbar.
I don’t think Google is evil….but the amount of information they have IS scary!
Which is exactly why I’ve blocked google…
——
Wacky Labs — This is supposed to look like a sig!
Google is a company like any other. We buy things from companies we sell things through companies but one thing they all have in common we trade something in exchange for something else.
Google is an Information company and most of its everyday services are free of monetary charges; we pay for the information we recieve by contributing information instead.
Google likes to find out about people and how they work so it can improve its services.
I have a GMail account and the commetn about “they know everything”, my response to which so what!
I really don’t care if Google knows what I like what I don’t and where I am and where I am not; governments hold vast amounts of information on everyone from birth you are logged in a database. You grow up and more information is entered where you work how much you earn etc, privacy is a state of mind not a physical attribute.
Have you ever walked down a street with someone having a full and frank conversation with a friend, surrounded by people you don’t know and continuing the conversation because “they don’t know me why should I care”; talking about something you wouldn’t if you were in a quiet room with some people you vaguely know?
I love Google! I am gladly giving them all the information I an find on myself, my friends and my family! Because Google does no evil, unlike that evil bad Micro$oft do! Oooooh! Micro$oft do such terrible things! I hate the terrible things they do! And I remember I hated Micro$oft ever since they released that evil Winblows 95! I hate them, because they are bad and everybody I knew were using Winblows! Now we have an alternative – me, my friends and my family all use Winblows (evil Micro$oft!), but we have everything Google installed, this way we use nothing Micro$oft (they’re evil), instead we have all these unique services (beta) Google has to offer us, and we’re so happy now! Life has changed for us since we use Google everything! I love Google, and those who don’t love Google or those who don’t use Firefox and spread FUD, IMO FWIW you are all just conspiracy theory idiots and are stupid!
I hate Micro$oft (evil), I love Google! I am DIFFERENT, you M$-fanboi losers!
…and this is why I NEVER install any Google toolbars or anything like that. I just use Gmail, and of course Google as a search engine… :)
How come you’re not using chrome then? I mean if your’e such a fan of google you should use their browser chrome instead of firefox surely?
I’m sure still they know a lot of things about you. If you think Google is evil, think about all the credit card companies, all banks, all online networking sites, all video/image hosting sites. I would say sticking with Google might be useful. Atleast you’ve one point of search if in case somebody messes with your data :-).