Google Not So Private 5
December 11th, 2009 by ComputerBob
Google CEO Eric Schmidt is a man on a mission.
He wants Google’s services to be a huge part of your entire day. Every day.
But regular readers of this Journal know that, unlike many computer users nowadays, I highly value my privacy.
So Google is not going to be a huge part of any of my days.
Because Eric Schmidt’s Google and other online marketing companies don’t value my privacy. They want to take away as much of my privacy as I’m willing to let them take.
And they want to take away as much of my private data as I’m willing to let them take.
They want to do those things because they make money — billions and billions of dollars every year — by mining their users’ private data. So they have a vested interest in invading their users’ privacy — and in trying to convince users to not be concerned about their privacy.
In fact, here’s what Google CEO Eric Schmidt said just the other day: “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”
Of course, he didn’t feel that way when his own privacy was invaded.
And I haven’t read any reports that say that he has removed his home’s front, back, bathroom and bedroom doors, and all of its window shades, blinds and other coverings.
Why not, Mr. Schmidt? Are you doing something that you don’t want anyone to know?
I hope that the current controversy over Eric Schmidt’s arrogantly dismissive comment will motivate more users to realize that advertisers like Google make money by not respecting our privacy.
And they consider our private data to be very, very valuable.
So we should, too.
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Consumer Info, Dubious, Ethics, Google, Internet, Rights, Security