Google Scum

[bobAlike]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11614970

Quote
"On its official Google blog, senior vice president Alan Eustace wrote that the company was "mortified" to discover, after the initial investigation in May, that personal information had been collected."

What a load of bollocks as an I.T. professional I just can't see how they can collect this information by accident. First of all it was "we may have scanned peoples WiFi" and now it emerges that they collected some peoples emails, and visited URLs.

This really pisses me off. I know it wont make a bit of difference to Google but I will try my best to avoid Google products wherever I can. No more Gmail, no more Google search, no more youtube, no Android phones.

[TightPaulFolds]

Was on Google maps today, looks like they have been going *everywhere* with their little trucks. My neighbour's house is down a little track in the middle of nowhere, there it is in all its detailed glory. Worth checking out the latest streetviews.

[kinboshi]

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/how-remove-your-google-search-history-googles-new-privacy-policy-takes-effect

If you haven't done this already, might be an idea to do it now?

[sovietsong]

already had mine turned off, not sure why.  are they changing the T&C's so they can sell details?

which search engine should we use instead?

[kinboshi]

already had mine turned off, not sure why.  are they changing the T&C's so they can sell details?

which search engine should we use instead?

Not so they can sell the details exactly, but so they can share the details (that were only used for personalising your own search results) with other departments within the Google group - some of whom aren't always as 'ethical'.  Yes, it could mean third-party organisations will also get access to this down the line.

[byronkincaid]

pretty sure i haven't got a google account, should i set one up to do this?

[kinboshi]

pretty sure i haven't got a google account, should i set one up to do this?

If you have gmail, use an android phone, or use adwords or analytics or any of Google's other services that need you to sign up - then you'll have an account.  Otherwise, you don't need to worry.

[Graham C]

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/how-remove-your-google-search-history-googles-new-privacy-policy-takes-effect

If you haven't done this already, might be an idea to do it now?

when I go to https://google.com/history, it just goes to google.com (normal search engine).

Is the info info in the link still valid?

[byronkincaid]

looks like cos i had a youtube account i had a google account but web history was turned off. had an option to turn it on.

[NoflopsHomer]

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/how-remove-your-google-search-history-googles-new-privacy-policy-takes-effect

If you haven't done this already, might be an idea to do it now?

when I go to https://google.com/history, it just goes to google.com (normal search engine).

Is the info info in the link still valid?

you have to fiddle around with it, try googling google history and then follow from there.

[the sicilian]

I'm more surprised ur surprised.... As a fellow IT dude I'd thought ud be aware of all the information gathering that goes on... If only you knew what the government monitor...

[snoopy1239]

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/how-remove-your-google-search-history-googles-new-privacy-policy-takes-effect

If you haven't done this already, might be an idea to do it now?

when I go to https://google.com/history, it just goes to google.com (normal search engine).

Is the info info in the link still valid?

you have to fiddle around with it, try googling google history and then follow from there.

It says that my web page history is already empty.

[Jon MW]

My web history isn't turned on either, on any of my google accounts.

It's not a very sneaky way to sell on data if they shout quite loudly that they're doing it - and most people have to actively opt in by switching on their web history anyway.

[gatso]

It's not a very sneaky way to sell on data if they shout quite loudly that they're doing it - and most people have to actively opt in by switching on their web history anyway.

yeah, that's pretty much my take on it. they're going to do stuff that I don't really care about with my data but only if I make the effort to go to a page that I didn't know existed and press a button turning on a thing

hardly sneaky and I'm not sure why it makes them scum

[bobAlike]

It's not a very sneaky way to sell on data if they shout quite loudly that they're doing it - and most people have to actively opt in by switching on their web history anyway.

yeah, that's pretty much my take on it. they're going to do stuff that I don't really care about with my data but only if I make the effort to go to a page that I didn't know existed and press a button turning on a thing

hardly sneaky and I'm not sure why it makes them scum

I might be wrong but isn't this what they're going to bring in on March 1st. Might just be the reason why it's not activated yet.