Google Paranoia and the Tin Foil Hat Club

How many times have you seen on forums

“Don’t use the Google toolbar!”

“I don’t use analytics, I don’t want Google knowing what I am up to”

“Guess I can’t use FeedBurner now”

“There is no way I am getting a Reader account”

… and so on.

What is it with all the Google Paranoia?

These are otherwise sane webmasters not wanting to use services because Google might use their data. What do they think Google is going to do with it?

Now if we are talking about spammers, well they have good reason to not want Google to see their data. One click and their business could be impacted. For the rest of us, surely we want Google to see our stuff?

What is the biggest issue people have with Google? Not giving our sites enough credit. What could help Google see we have quality sites? All that analytics and feed data!

If Google sees that this blog has so many subscribers, so many get the feed via email and so many sites send traffic, that should put us above the spammer with the tricked and mislead traffic, right? We should rank higher than the sites with bought links that never get clicked and the machine-made content that gets no subscribers.

So for me, bring it on! Use everything, I have nothing to hide!

Is there something I am missing?

Posted on May 13, 2008 by Chris Garrett 
Filed Under Google

Comments

7 Responses to “Google Paranoia and the Tin Foil Hat Club”

  1. Ted Demopoulos, Blogging for Business on May 13th, 2008 1:40 pm

    When I spoke to the Department of Homeland Security a coiple of months ago they almost were rolling on the floor when I spoke about “Big Brother —- Google.” They understood that Google is a classic example of an organization that got too powerful too quickly, and that makes many of us uneasy.

    I may be uneasy, but I like Google and use many things Google.

    I do draw the line at Google Toolbar though — it fits the classic definition of spyware, and quite honestly it’s not their business what I google

  2. Rick Wolff on May 13th, 2008 1:56 pm

    Here’s the recipe:
    • A Federal government that’s trying to phase out the specific search warrant required by the Fourth Amendment. And no major presidential candidate objecting strongly to this trend.
    • A legislature that, during the time you and I spend working, writes new laws making more and more of what you and I do now illegal.
    • Consolidation and centralization of information about us, for free. Potential one-stop shopping of all our “papers and effects” for unshackled investigators.
    Surely it’s enough to give you a little creepy feeling, isn’t it? Just a little?

  3. Yoav on May 13th, 2008 2:01 pm

    Hi Chris,

    I totally agree with you.

    For starters, Google knows much less about me than lets say… the government. And while google’s future depends on ethically and carefully using the information they gather about me, The government has no such obligation.

    On top of that I trust the 180 I.Q. engineers and marketers at google to resist the urge of reselling my private information much more than I trust the average government official.

    And last…Google is using the little information they have about me to improve my web experience. For me, this is a good thing.

  4. Chris Garrett on May 13th, 2008 2:39 pm

    @ted – Yes it could be spyware but I think people willingly put a LOT worse on their computers

    @rick – Thing is there is credit cards, finance, banks, tax, etc databases that are far more invasive. I do get a little creeped out but I can’t blame Google for it.

    @Yoav – Exactly, on a day to day basis I see far more good from the Google tentacles than bad. Course I might regret saying this in a few years but right now I think I will keep my foil hat off :)

  5. Brad K. on May 13th, 2008 5:54 pm

    I have to agree with the concern that as Google acquires data, it becomes a bigger target for action by government investigations looking for information about suspects and targets. Governments of all sizes. From New York City to China to Washington, D.C.

    And Google will always be one of the ‘big guns’ – targets for amateur and experienced hackers, ready to dismantle, annoy, or loot anything about Google.com they can.

    While I still pretty much trust Google, the days when there data could be expected to remain secure are nearly over. Anything the FBI, CIA, etc. secures will eventually turn up in public records – or criminal hands.

  6. Play Games on August 16th, 2008 5:11 pm

    Because Google is a tit? They can use this data against us.

  7. James on April 2nd, 2010 3:59 pm

    It made me nervous when they started censoring the web… not necessarily in a free speech way.

    But in an economic way.

    That’s scary. Any move they make can have devastating effect on particular businesses on the internet.

    They can also have a really powerful positive effect.

    However, a single company which is followed so blindly for no real reason what-so-ever is mind boggling.

    There are plenty of alternatives. I would much rather forgo convenience and bling and rest slightly more assured that I have ownership or a little more control, or a little more privacy over what happens on the web.

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