Comments | ankh_lj: Quickie Google Poll

ankh_lj

Quickie Google Poll

Mar 04, 2012 21:02

I'm wondering, because I'm a nosy git, if anyone feels differently about Google because of the new policy regarding data and privacy. So if you have a minute to kill...

Poll Google Poll Quickie

Comments 3

aizjanika March 5 2012, 02:28:07 UTC

I actually hadn't heard about this until I read about it on your LJ. I don't know how I missed it, since I read a lot of websites/blogs/etc. that would normally feature that type of story.

I changed my Google settings and transferred my LJ comments back to another mail account. (I had set up a new, separate Gmail account specifically for LJ comments, since my old Yahoo Mail stopped receiving them a year or so ago.

I also changed my default search engines, though not sure if it makes any difference. I've also done a little reading about this topic and similar topics--trying to educate myself a little. One of the things I learned was about the "bubble" thing they do--essentially putting the things they think you'll like at the top of your search results, so that search results are different for each person.

sg1scribe March 5 2012, 18:17:12 UTC

Google has a new policy?

aizjanika March 12 2012, 07:22:50 UTC

I am not an expert on this, but essentially they've decided to integrate all the data they collect on you through all their services. They scan your emails and Google docs and add that info in with whatever you search for and anything you post about on Google Plus (plus whatever you "like" using that account), and so on.

Google's privacy policy

Also, apparently their new policy violates European law. I wish it violated U.S. law.

This article has a bit of advice about what you can do about itI do care about this, mostly because, while I know they keep track of stuff, I dislike the idea of it all being in one place so that it's even easier for them to make guesses about me and who I am and what I do, etc. I realize there's no anonymity on the internet, but why make it so easy for them. ;) Also, it's likely that other services do similar things, so it's not like changing from Google accomplishes all that much, but it makes me feel a little better ( ... )