Apr
30
Privacy Concerns on the Server Farm
In the third installment of the Guest Blogger feature on TTH, my techie/photography buff/former business school classmate and friend Jon Baker* based in Seattle tackles the issue of privacy on the Internets! Are the conveniences of modern day life worth the perpetual breach of privacy that they entail? Be sure to comment and let your voice be heard… NT
Google knows everything about you. It knows where you shop, what you like to do in your free time, and who your friends are. It knows when you get sick, and when you’re planning a vacation. It knows what you look like, and can recognize your voice. It knows where you live.
Too dramatic? Okay, let’s start over. Google isn’t evil. The people that work there aren’t trying to spy on you, or steal your identity. They aren’t hacking into your computer to watch you on your webcam (probably). However, they would love to compile all the data that they can in order to sell you stuff. And while most people wouldn’t tell a stranger where they’re going to dinner, much less whom they’re inviting, they freely volunteer that information to Google.
First, you search the internet for a pizza place located near your zip code, and then map out the directions on your phone. Then you send a message on Gmail to a few of your friends, telling them what time to meet you there. And that’s it. They got you. One piece of personal data, and then another, slowly adds up into a complete picture.
Of course, Google isn’t acting alone. If you advertise on Facebook, for example, you get access to extremely specific demographic information users have freely volunteered. I knew there must be a reason why Facebook always tells me I can make my online experience more social and interactive by “liking” everything I’m interested in. Doing this supposedly “helps my friends connect with me in a more meaningful way.” It also helps Facebook sell my demographic information to advertisers, who are basically guaranteed an accurate match. Does your company want your ad seen by white males, age 18-24, who play Madden on Xbox and listen to Katy Perry? (Now that’s a weirdo I wouldn’t want to meet!) No problem. Facebook can recognize your gender and race from all those pictures you keep tagging (that is, if you haven’t already told them outright). When you signed up, you gave them your date of birth and hometown, and they know what you like because you told them so.
Google does the same thing, only more thoroughly and efficiently. That’s how it can offer all those “free” services. You get the convenience of instant information at your fingertips, or the benefit of a robust e-mail client, and they get to data mine your message and place relevant ads at the top of each page.
When you consider all the avenues for target marketing, it starts to sound like a conspiracy. This is the point where privacy advocates start to feel light headed. They read my mail, compile my search queries, and track my GPS locations? It’s Big Brother! And you just know they have petabytes of storage space squirreled away in some salt mine somewhere. They never have to delete anything. Google can understand what you say when you talk into your phone. It transcribes your conversation and remembers what you sound like. This isn’t some 1984 future; it’s Google Voice, and it’s free.
The fact is, most people just aren’t aware they are handing information about themselves over to a corporation every time they type into a search box, or ask for directions. When you point it out to them, they shrug and carry on. They just don’t care much. They’ll take convenience over security any day.
That’s want it’s all about: convenience. Google services are ubiquitous, simple, and free. I use them every day, just like almost everyone else. I happily give out little bits of personal data in return for the convenience Google provides. I really like their search engine, turn-by-turn navigation, productivity software, internet browser, and cell phone operating system. I don’t mind if they track my movement, monitor what I search for, and track my calls…
Hmm, it’s starting to seem like they own all aspects of my online life. But hey, their motto is “don’t be evil.” I can trust them, right?
*Author’s Bio: Jon is working hard to attain his goal of becoming a full time curmudgeon, and thanks to the open platform afforded to him by the Internet, his dream may yet become a reality someday. He specializes in writing about subjects he has little firsthand knowledge of and may be found living off the grid under a rock.
Tags
Blogging, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, Social Media
