Google's Watching You

lil_lisa

I'm sure there a lot of people who don't realise half of this stuff! I try my best to keep private but there's only so much we can do!

Oisintarrant

Seems like a bit of scare mongering to be fair. A bit like a lot of articals about McDonalds etc years ago. Undoubtedly those articals helped curb McDonalds problems in many ways. The majority of points in the piece relate to opt-in choices by the user. If you dont want your voice recorded, then dont use google voice. Very simple. For those using it, what on earth could google do with you voice? (Im not directing these questions at the OP, just getting the point across). Google has and will, improve the general intelligence of the user and provides some of the most used services in the world today, free to the user.
China & Google is a lot bigger issue than that artical described, with positives and minus's on both sides. I hope I dont regret saying it because like I mentioned at the start, its not impossible, but, its ok...google wont bite.

ToniTuddle

That is quite interesting. Esp the part about China censoring their Google that just plain makes me -->:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Even now if you stopped using your computer there would still be loads of information that has built up over the years...actually I'm going to go check something now online and search myself :eek:
See what they may have on me.

lil_lisa

You could write a book on the issues with Google and China. I deleted buzz after having it for two days, my email address was public to everyone and I just felt that anyone could gain access to anything. People are hacking new software every day. We can't trust new software or features which are released. You just can never know how secure they are, what information they hold and who can access that information. I mean look at boards.ie. The poor guys were hacked just a few weeks ago and they hold very little personal information about people. Even the paypal information isn't in their databases. So what extents will people go to to get onto our hard drives. I was worried about using Google Chrome but now I'm worried about connecting to the internet at all.

Ok, well maybe not, lets not be too rational!

ToniTuddle

Well I'm getting more annoying/afraid as my course goes on! I'm doing Computer Secuity and Digital Forensics and learning all about the crime side of things. Each of our computers as we type are like doors and the hackers are outside tapping away and we don't hear them.

Thousands of hits per week from all over the world.
The majority of them don't do it for money or anything that actually benefits them. Just to prove to themselves/others that they are smart enough to be able to do it.

I heard Japan went and re-wrote their history books to make themselves not look as bad during the World War. How can countries get away with things like that??
Must look into this whole Google and China thing. No doubt it will send my blood pressure flying!

EDIT: Do you mean Google Buzz lets your email be shown publicly?
My friend has this on his computer so he can talk to his brother in another country.

lil_lisa

No no, your email address is automatically shown publicly but just by being able to see so much information about my contacts and they about me I just got paranoid that my inbox was on display. With more and more things like this identity fraud is becoming bigger, not to mention online stalking (you heard about the girl who was killed by some guy on Facebook?). And yeah, you're studying this, you'll know. People aren't just hacking sites and software for information or money but they see it as a challenge. Like a maths problem to be solved, they can't stop until they get it. If these kind of methods fall into the wrong hands it will not and has not ended well.

China in general is messed up when it comes to the internet, even freedom of speech. Google are fighting them on this, but think about it, who has a greater impact on the other? China or Google? There's no way Google could survive without China...well not as it is anyway!

Mahatma coat

Interestin that the article clls for regulation when Google have gone into the electricity business if another article I read has any merit.