New Google Privacy Policy | It's so overt, its covert

Google insisted that I have a look at their new consolidated privacy policy (the "Policy"), which replaces around 60 odd policies by one that is all pervasive. The first time, like many of us, I was only too happy to circumvent and be taken instantly to my mailbox. But then a few days later while suffering a painfully cold bout of train-induced insomnia, it asked me again, and only this time I was happy to oblige. Although I am not shutting down my Google account anytime soon, I am glad I did. 

To begin with, how Google brazenly snubs any pretense of web-anonymity that you may have developed, can be seen in these excerpts from the Policy:

• We may use the name you provide for your Google Profile across all of the services we offer that require a Google Account. In addition, we may replace past names associated with your Google Account so that you are represented consistently across all our services.

• When you use our services or view content provided by Google, we may automatically collect and store certain information in server logs. This may include:
• details of how you used our service, such as your search queries.
• telephony log information like your phone number, calling-party number, forwarding numbers, time and date of calls, duration of calls, SMS routing information and types of calls.
• Internet protocol address.
• device event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and referral URL.
• cookies that may uniquely identify your browser or your Google Account.

Google has also realized that the web is going mobile, moving away from the pc, and hence we find a wonderfully lawyer friendly language that follows the innocuously sounding 'telephony log information'.

The debate as to whether or not 'right to privacy' and 'right to anonymity', go hand in hand, shall soon go from 'social-circles' to courtroom, of this I am more certain today than I was last week.

The timing of the new Policy which primarily frees 'policy', from the shackles of 'privacy', perhaps comically (or even sarcastically) comes right hot on the heels of International Privacy Day.  

Boradly, I have two issues with the new Policy:

Firstly, as of now, the how and to what extent the data collected by (and perpetually at the disposal of) Google can be used, depends only on its ingenuity and conscience. Whether or not you are willing to bet it on the latter, is a matter of individual choice. The new policy significantly blurs the already thin line between 'beautifully intuitive user interface' and plain old 'creepy'. The former quite obviously is the stated purpose behind the new Policy. As for me, the 'do no evil', halo propagated by the Page-Brin & Partners, now more than ever, looks like the best corporate communication trick of at least the decade.

In other words, Google is now the sales man who has stored pictures of the interiors of my house and Carpet-bombs me with mailers and advertisements of 'wall papers' vendors in my area, because I have been searching 'home-improvement' over my android phone (which in turn lets Google know - my exact location) and because I bought blue last year, it inundates me with offers specifically for blue wallpapers. This is how g-intuition works!

Secondly, I do not want the web to be fit-to-size. By using the past usage pattern to tailor what I see on the web, takes the web from being 'experiential' to being 'conditioned'. Intuitive and perceptive are good, but extrapolate it a tad further than necessary and what you get is a tasteless user experience devoid of serendipity, as soon every page element that you look at shall be preened based on optimized relevance computed through analytics deriving from a huge database of your virtual existence carefully logged - bit by bit. Gloomy. 

ReviewKaka's quote for the day: Do give 'online privacy' a thought, because on the web - that is the only thing personal.

If I sound a little too pessimistic about the new Policy and the effect it may have on how we live in the times of web 2.0, I would definitely encourage you to take some time out and go through the Policy. You may also check here, here and here to find some more interesting views on the new Policy and why privacy and anonymity are critical to the way we use the web.

On a parallel note, would like to share a track aptly titled 'Its so overt, its covert', composed by Hans Zimmer.

Love,

ReviewKaka

(Google image on top, courtesy: http://www.impactlab.net/2010/12/10/google-dont-be-evil-no-more/technology-google-good-or-evil-zoom/)

Republic Day: A pompous banality | Not just yet

Bringing public, back to the Republic.

The pompous banality of the Republic Day parade has oft been scoffed at. A faction among the modern (self proclaimed) egalitarians criticize this multi-coloured, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-what not festoon that hangs loosely between the crumbling pillars of democracy, arguing en masse that the parade, meant to remind us of that promising day in 1950, has decayed into a profligate charade that mocks right at us. An institutionalized relic, with a veneer of grandeur, that has long outlived its purpose. Somewhere over the past 63 years, the 'national holiday' suffered partial obsolescence, decaying into a sleepy wintry morning when one could afford the luxury of legitimately and rightfully not showing up at work, for the day was thankfully accorded 'holiday' status, by powers that were. The 'national', was lost.  

I disagree, partially and utmost humbly. 

Perhaps, by virtue of being a lawyer, the word 'Constitution of India', has acquired romantic mysticism in life. An obvious extension of that is my new found (not so new, now) respect for the Republic Day. For the uninitiated, the Republic Day, truly marked the end of the freedom struggle and along with it the power struggle that it did eventually become. The transition from being a quibbling and fragmented 'kingdom' to an imperial colony and finally into a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' was definitely not  easy, and much life and love was lost. It is the Constitution that gives India its unique identity. Nations need an identity.

In an insightful article (here) that I stumbled upon sometime ago, Aatish Taseer delves into an autoptic testimony of the failure of Pakistan and alludes much of that failure to the lack of a positive identity. The transformation of kingdoms and fiefdoms, into the modern day nation-states recognize a unifying identity as an event pre-conditional to the formation of a nation. As discussed above, it is the Constitution that gives us our national identity, ingraining the 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' as traits indispensable to our national conscience. 

Democracy, is governance by compromise, and that I believe to be true. This belief is simply derived from the fact of dependencies created in a democratic institution. Equally true (and corollary), is the idea that a 'compromised-democracy', is in effect a failed (or failing) democracy. Failed democracies are not a rarity, and if one is to judge by performance of former colonies, failure is a rule. India has been a partial exception to the said rule, so far. Our neighbors on each side (Pakistan and China) provide grim pictures of what may lie at two opposite ends of such compromise. In each case, needless to say, at the expense of its citizens.

Not less, but more is required.

For those who see the Republic Day as an exercise both boisterous and pretentious, I plead before them to embrace the day as the only opportunity to reaffirm our collective faith in a national identity. An identity that we chose a few decades back and which lent the grit to withstand external aggressive and character to resolve an internal dismissive. While Independence Day gave us our freedom - the 'right to be free', the Republic Day marks the day that taught us how to exercise that freedom. It is indeed the latter that gives a meaningful sanctity to the former, for it is simply not birth, but rather the series of events (and choices) thereafter, that makes life purposeful.

This Republic Day, while I will not be one of the many thousands who would brave the bitter cold Delhi winter morning to witness the military prowess that we have acquired (you, may see that here), I will also not be the one lending my ear to the (lacked) leadership (you, may do that here). But, I will think about what it truly takes to constitute India into a ... 

And while we think our thoughts, here's the national song (composed by A R Rehman, and for some reason titled Missing) to fall in love with the country, again:      

Wishing you all a Happy Republic Day.

Love,

ReviewKaka 

   

   

Anoushka Shankar: Traveller | Lost my heart to that Desi from up-west

Walked like a princess, she smiled like a goddess;

She took the stage, playing tunes of an enchantress |

Against all odds, through purple sky and crimson sunset;

Armed, I made way to the fortress, with a li'l luck and zest |


Heart was lost, when at last love was met;
I lost my heart to that Desi from up-west |

With poise so elegant, she swayed to the rythm;

Heart skipped a beat, at the tilt of her head |

She played that raag, doors to some cosmic affair;  

Lost, stories by a traveler, in telling tales of  journeys of far |

Soon hours went by, each hour did just a second last;
She played for a moment, life subsumed in such moments past |

Heart was lost, when at last love was met;
Lost my heart to that Desi from up-west.

Last evening was spent in the company of Anoushka Shankar, well technically. It was Delhi's (and with that my) turn to see Anoushka Shankar perform. Since nothing worth doing ever comes easy, this wasn't going to be much of an exception. However still, it was the perfect end to an otherwise not too great a weekend. Not  much can be said about the performance, except for the fact that listening to her, over the years on an endless loop even, did not prepare me for the sheer exuberance that seeing her perform live was going to be.  

Sitar was used with a virtuosity once exclusively the hallmark of her renowned father. While Pt. Ravi Shankar took Sitar to the world stage, Anoushka flourishes and thrives on world music. Starting the evening on a classical note - she soon ascended on to improvised compositions culminating at one point in a duet with spanish flamenco guitar.

It was worth the effort, and a bit more, may be next time you should come too. 

On a separate note, ReviewKaka along with some fellow travelers from 8/1 went on a certain expedition, titled 'Around the world in a tea-daze', and brought back some pictures which can be seen here: ChaoticOrder: Recursive Psyche. 

Here's wishing (and granting) you a great year ahead.

Bests,

ReviewKaka