Google's new privacy policy

[purplecat]

Not entirely getting the panic.

I fully recognise that there are probably some people who were relying in an important way on Google Search, Google Mail, YouTube and Blogger keeping their information separate. However Google has given lots of warning that the change is coming, and I don't see any reason in principle why a web-based company should not share information between all its web-based services so long as it's up-front about the fact. So I find it hard to work up even the low-level sense of outrage I occasionally manage when Facebook springs some sweeping change to privacy settings on me.

I do, of course, see that Google's emphasis on "real names only" for Google+ etc may prevent people with legitimate reasons to operate pseudonymously when online from accessing Google's other services. But its real names policy seems to me to be tangential to the issue of linking its data. Obviously the issues interact, but I see more reason to fight the real names only policy than to fight the new privacy policy.

What I'm really not clear about is why it is particularly important that I, personally, take various steps (or should have done since it's now March 1st and so I'm basically doomed) to scrub my information from all Google's platforms. I mean this is the company whose search engine (when it confesses to knowing anything about me at all) thinks I'm a man, between the ages of 25 and 35 who's main interests are computer games, American football and women's clothing. I wouldn't actually be complaining if they could join a few more dots than that, to be honest. I should really re-check it, come to think of it, and see if, now they've linked my web search to my Google+ account, they've managed to work out I'm female.

Maybe I'm failing to see the panic because I'm moderately careful about who gets what personal information anyway, and have never assumed that any company (especially one based in the US) is going to keep it entirely secure and inviolate. I also suspect I tend to over-estimate rather than under-estimate the ease with which my online identities could be linked. Frankly, I was surprised to learn that Google+ wasn't already linked up with Blogger, YouTube and Search!!

Maybe I'm failing to see the panic simply because I don't really use most of these services. I use search a lot, I post videos for family to YouTube, but my usage of all the over services is minimal to non-existent.

Comments

[kayim]

I agree with you, but I think we're amongst the few people who aren't panicking.

Google knows who I am. I know they scan my emails for keywords to make sure I get the "best" adverts for me on my gmail page (which is always highly amusing). I know they can link my Facebook to my gmail (as evidenced a while back when I was testing a new, fake account at work).

I'd be more concerned if I found my LJ being connected to those things, to be honest, but in the grand scheme of things? I don't do anything online that I'm ashamed of. I might have a few uncomfortable conversations with my mother or my daughter if they found some of my fic, but that's about it.

If I had anything *really* dodgy to discuss online, I wouldn't :)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

My only problem with Google is that when they have linked stuff that does not need/want linking, I keep having to set up new personas. I am so many Google-people, I think I could set up a small kingdom (ruled, obviously, by me. But wearing which hat???)

[fredbassett]

I find the ability of people like facebook and linked in to data mine information even if you don't allow them to link to your address book scary enough, so I don't exactly look on this with approval, but then I don't entirely understand quite what they're doing, either.

Mind you, I'm not wholly sure I want people to have access to my browser history!

[lonemagpie.livejournal.com]

Basically, people who logged in with their Youtube or Google accounts to search for porn are bricking it that Google can now tell the government what wank material they've been looking for, in case any of it's not quite legal in their country.

You'd think people would just, y'know, not log in to do that kind of search, but there you go...

[sixgun45lc.livejournal.com]

Come on now, admit it; you're a HUGE Oakland Raiders fan, right? ;)