Google's Privacy Policy

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.guardian.c...acy-policy-changes-eu

Is Google correct to implement their new privacy policy, which come into force today?

It seems that the EU's competition authority and the US Federal Trade Commission and Japan's trade and industrial ministry, are not happy about it.

No mention of the UK's thoughts on it though.

[Gromit]

Google are pretty evil. Wouldn't trust them now, their recent history on stealing data and malpractice is very poor. Last week they were found to be bypassing your cookies settings in Explorer and Safari to track you.

[chaptazbru]

Am I safe having a google email ??

[sp1814]

chaptazbru

One of our tech guys described the impact of the privacy changes Google are introducing.

Apparently, Google will now be able to index every email you send from your Google mail o gmail account. What that means is that it will be able to sell data gathered to third parties who will then be able to target you for specific produces across all of the Google platforms.

Put simply, if you write to your mum that you're thinking of booking flights to Los Angeles, suddenly you will find adverts for car hire firms popping up on your web browser.

Here's a link that may interest you:

http://www.pcmag.com/...0,2817,2400662,00.asp

[sp1814]

AOG

I thought that Google had been blocked from implementing this change. Obviously not - whether they're correct to implement it will depend on how people perceive the changes.

By that I mean, people need to understand that Google provide a free web browser, free mail client and free social networking. On top of that, there a whole host of useful plug-ins you can make use of via Google's front end...

...however, as my mother always said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch". You pay for it one way or another, and the way that Google makes you pay is by turning you into collateral. We basically become their product to re-sell to the advertising industry.

I stopped using Google mail a year ago.

[chaptazbru]

Thank you for that sp1814. I'm shocked. How can they get away with that??!! I also have a hotmail address, may be using it all the time in future.

[Gromit]

Google does not charge you for any of it's products, because YOU are the product. It sells you to advertisers and that is how it makes money. For them to be able to match you to the advertisers, it needs to know as much as it can about you.

[chaptazbru]

I've been naive where google are concerned.

[ladybirder]

Worrying, but surely Google aren't the only ones doing it are they? If I swap to say Yahoo won't they be doing the same? Or if one opens a Hotmail account, will that be any safer than a Gmail one??

[sp1814]

ladybirder

You can always tell like this - send an email to your work account (and if you don't have one, send to a friend or family member) and in it, write the words 'buy iPad' over and over again.

If you suddenly start getting pop-ups advertising PC World, Dixons or Currys, you can be pretty sure that your data is being sold.

I think the reason why Google are being hung out to dry on this issue is that they actively market themselves as 'honest johns'.

[anotheoldgit]

ED, any further news about this affecting Answerbank?

I am referring to the following:

/// Internet users could also ask for their data to be deleted from websites for good, the so-called "right to be forgotten".///

[ladybirder]

Thanks sp, suppose I'll have to uninstall my adblocker then to find out.

[ummmm]

Goodbye Google Chrome.

[Gromit]

It could be worse. If your business deals with collecting local data, Google may come along and not just steal your data, but also steal your business. That is what happened to one company in Kenya.

http://blog.mocality....at-were-you-thinking/

[joggerjayne]

I've stopped using Google ... as of today.

[ChuckFickens]

"Goodbye Google Chrome."

Chrome isn't covered by the new policy, it still retains the same policy it always has.

"I've stopped using Google ... as of today."

Why? just don't log into google.

[joggerjayne]

Why don't I what ???

[Gromit]

JoggerJane

No more YouTube then.

[snags]

You don't have to be signed in to watch Youtube videos.

And don't log in when doing Google searches and if you are logged in, make sure your web history is not tracked under Account Settings > Services.

[Gromit]

A message from Microsoft about Google bypassing the users privacy settings in Explorer.

http://blogs.msdn.com...privacy-settings.aspx

[modeller]

It would appear that if you Remove Web History that solves the problem on all Google sites . I dont think there is a problem if you only use Google as a Search Engine just don't sign in . I have Gmail as one of my email addresses which may make me vulnerable but not if you click on Remove Web History .
It was a bit difficult to track down but following various various links from their Policy menu I was able to do it.
Sorry if this is not all that clear but it may help.