Google
Google offers many different types
of products to users that are mostly free.
These products include Gmail, Google Search, Google Maps, Google
Analytics, Google Chrome, YouTube and Android. With all of these services
available, Google is collecting information from each of these services about their
users. Through the years, Google has had
many changes in privacy laws and is always in the news for their latest privacy
updates. Clemons, 2012, says “The
company’s new privacy policy goes beyond anything the world has seen before, in
which Google asserts the right to combine all the information it can obtain
from any sources, including those never authorized by the provider, like the
sender of email to a Gmail account. Additionally, a litany of misdeeds, some
small, some creepy, and some bordering on indictable felonies, has come to
light. Somehow, the combination of no adult supervision, unlimited access to
private information, and a sequence of questionable behavior causes me to
wonder if Google's present governance model may simply be unacceptable.” Google
is constantly in the news and being criticized over privacy concerns for their
users.
Google Purchasing Nest
The latest Google privacy concerns
are around Google purchasing Nest, a home gadget company. Nest is a home automation company that
designs and manufactures programmable thermostats and smoke detectors. With
Google purchasing Nest, users are concerned about giving Google access inside
their homes. “The Nest thermostat, for example, has
a motion sensor which activates the screen and changes temperature settings
when it registers a body walk past. Some are worried about what Google could
potentially do with that and other information stored by Nest products,”
(Schuster, 2014). Nest has a wealth of
user data gathered from those who already own and use its devices. “Considering
how much Google values contextual clues from its apps in order to improve its
services, it would be surprising if Google wasn't tempted to tap into that
information for use with its other products,” (Schuster, 2014). Like other Google products, Nest would
probably have an opt out of settings rather than an opt in program.
I can understand why people
would be concerned with Google purchasing Nest, but consumers do not have to
purchase and use Nest. People that
already have Nest installed in their houses are probably aware that they are
collecting data about their home and usage of their products.
Gmail and Google +
One
Google program I use everyday is Gmail and Gchat. Recently, Google has been in the news with
concerns over privacy through Gmail. Google made a profile on Google + for all
their existing Gmail users. Through
Google +, Gmail addresses are available to all
Google + users. Which means, anybody can send a message to another Google + user without having to be in their Google Circle. A user can change their settings to allow their email address to be private, but it is up to the user to opt out. This concerned a lot of Gmail users about their email being available to anybody. Google experienced problems with their first social networking site Google Buzz and they eventually had to shut it down due to privacy concerns. With Google +, just like other social media networks, it is up to the user to manage their own privacy settings.
Google + users. Which means, anybody can send a message to another Google + user without having to be in their Google Circle. A user can change their settings to allow their email address to be private, but it is up to the user to opt out. This concerned a lot of Gmail users about their email being available to anybody. Google experienced problems with their first social networking site Google Buzz and they eventually had to shut it down due to privacy concerns. With Google +, just like other social media networks, it is up to the user to manage their own privacy settings.
Privacy vs. Convenience
I personally use a lot of Google
products everyday. I do not own a Google
Android phone or tablet, but I use Gmail, Google Maps and Google calendar. I know some of my coworkers refuse to have
any Google accounts because of the privacy concerns. After conducting research this week, I
believe the convenience of Google products outweighs my privacy concerns. I believe there are privacy issues and
concerns when you have a cell phone or use the internet, and if you want to use
those services, it is up to you to protect your information. To me, the benefits of using free Google
products outweigh my privacy concerns.
There are ways to protect your
information while using Google products.
“The search giant offers a couple of options on what information is
associated with any given Google account. You can get an overview of all the
data Google associates with your account by looking at the ‘Dashboard’ option
on your main Google account page. Apart from the Dashboard, users can turn off
the setting that allows Google to record their search history. This record logs
all your search history and the results that you’ve clicked on from those
queries,” (Kang, 2012).
Kelly, 2014, writes how email is not
personal information and says that the telephone book was more intrusive since
it lists people’s names, phone numbers and addresses. She mentions that in
order to not be in the phone book, a person had to pay a fee to not have their
information listed. “Even if you believe that we’ve
become a more stalky society, or that automated messaging means there’s more
hassle in having your email out there than in having your phone number listed,
fear of email dissemination misses the mark. But a lot of the griping about
Google’s change relies on an outdated way of thinking about email as a
communication tool.” Email is a pervasive part of our daily lives and we offer
our email to anybody who asks for it.
It’s not really that private when you give your email to friends,
potential employers, marketers and stores.
An email address is required to use a lot of products. “To use
nearly any online feature, one needs a valid, working email address. We don’t
necessarily want to provide the address, but to function in the digital
community, we must. Our email addresses, therefore, are on hundreds, if not
thousands of lists. And every day, bundles containing thousands of those email
addresses are sold from one corporation to another,” (Kelly, 2014).
The only way to
keep Google from collecting data is to not use any Google products, which can
be difficult if you use the internet. Google’s Android is the most used mobile
operating system and in order for it to truly be a smart phone, users have to
use Google services. I believe it is
important for users to know what information Google is collecting and it is
important they are proactive in updating their privacy settings. The only way
to protect yourself is to understand the products you are using and keep your
settings up to date.
References
Clemons, E. (2012). “’Say it aint so, joe, again and again and
again…’: A legacy of continued bad behavior at google. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-k-clemons/google-privacy-case_b_1522874.html
“Google links its email service to social network, raises
privacy concerns.” (2014). Retrieved from http://rt.com/news/google-new-feature-privacy-418/
Kang, C. (2012). “Google privacy policy: Who will be affected
and how you can choose what information gets shared.” Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/google-privacy-policy-who-will-be-affected-and-how-you-can-choose-what-information-gets-shared/2012/01/26/gIQA69fNVQ_story.html
Kelly, H. (2014). “Your email address isn’t personal
information. Get over it.” Retrieved from http://www.newrepublic.com/article/116211/gmail-feature-raises-privacy-concerns-about-email
Schuster, M. (2014). “Google’s nest buyout raises privacy
concerns.” Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/01/16/google-acquires-nest-privacy/4518317/
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