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.
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.
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
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