Has Google's New 'Privacy' Policy Gone Too Far?

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly wrote a letter to Google Chief Executive Larry Page, expressing the concerns of all the attorneys over the techno giant's policies that will affect all users of Google products and services, and requesting a meeting with him.

Per the February 27^th gant.com article, “Attorney General Kelly Raises Concerns over New Google Privacy Policy”, the letter read, in part: “This policy change threatens the privacy of those users of various Google products who wish to keep various parts of their online experience separate. It also has the potential to heighten the risk of damaging identity theft and fraud, given that Google will now be storing richer personal information profiles.”

Essentially, it appears that users' information and browsing history, in such areas as the Web and YouTube, is open season for Google, though Google is touting the change as something beneficial to the user. But not everyone sees it that way. And, users aren't being given the choice to opt out of the change –without opting out of the Google world completely. That, coupled with the fact that the world is plugged in as never before with their smartphones, in coordination with Google applications, has seemingly made privacy obsolete. As well, not only does Google's move clearly violate users' privacy, consolidating their personal data makes them vulnerable to hackers like never before.

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Per the Google website: “The new policy reflects our efforts to create one beautifully simple, intuitive user experience across Google. Our goal remains to provide you with as much transparency and choice as possible, and our privacy principles remain unchanged.” And, have they already become known as famous last words? “We don't sell our users' personal information. It's simply not how we operate,” Google states.

Uh huh.

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While there is a faction of users who will embrace the change, and the opportunities that consolidation of data offers, including sharing information across various platforms, without a doubt, thousands of users don't understand the changes that are taking place, and even those that do are unable to opt out if they so choose.

Per the February 29^th npr.org article, “Google Wins. He's Giving Up On Privacy”, Hiawatha Bray of The Boston Globe was quoted as saying of Google's change in policy: “Google, which makes money by selling and placing online ads, said it will be able to deliver more accurate search results and advertising that is more relevant to individual customers.” This, per Bray, “would also boost Google's advertising business by helping to target users with the ads most likely to interest them. Companies would probably buy more ads on Google's various sites, and pay more for them, if the company can promise that it is reaching more interested buyers.”

Not surprisingly, the almighty dollar appears to be at the root of the issue. And while the pursuit of profits is commendable, so is doing it the right way. The bottom line is, Google appears to be profiting at its users' expense, and in the process, treating them like nothing more than a massive herd of sheep.

Quite frankly, I don't think it can be said any better than Clint Eastwood put it in The Outlaw Josey Wales: “Don't p*** down my back and tell me it's raining.”