[Nottingham] Google morphing into a pan-dimensional "facebook"?

[Martin]

Folks,

The ElReg has picked up on this along with a few Americans:

US lawmakers question Google over privacy policy
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/27/google_privacy_policy_concern/

####
... The policy looked to many commentators like Google would collect
data on users whatever they surfed and whenever they used their phone
and use it to target advertising and search results to them.

The US politicos said they were worried that some Google products and
services are more hidden, so users might not necessarily know what data
was being linked to them and that most products can't be used without
logging in.

"What are the names of all of the Google products and services? For each
product, are you able to use that product without logging in?" the
letter demanded.

They also have bees in their bonnets about Android phones, which usually
require a Google account of some description.

"Please explain exactly how a user of an Android phone will be affected
by Google's new policy? Is there any ability for users to opt-out, other
than not purchasing and using an Android phone?" the letter asked.

Congressman Ed Markey, one of the signatories to the letter, said on his
website that he was particularly worried about how the new policy would
affect young people. ...
####


At the risk of top-posting ( :-( ), note:

> An interesting mailling with unusually clear writing describing 
> Google's policy for what it does when you use anything Google. What 
> isn't mentioned is that many websites that have nothing to do with 
> Google make use of Google's services, and hence (unwittingly) so do 
> you...
> 
> All for a beautiful harmony? Or a tranquil hegemony? Is this going 
> scarily intrusive?
> 
> #### Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service
> 
> We believe that this stuff matters so please take a few minutes to 
> read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at 
> http://www.google.co.uk/policies These changes will take effect on 1
>  March, 2012. ####
> 
> Note:
> 
> Privacy Policy http://www.google.co.uk/policies/privacy/preview/
> 
> Circles and Stream 
> http://support.google.com/plus/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=guide.cs&guide=1257347


Full kudos for Google making the announcement. And full marks for the
positive and friendly veneer of Marketing. But what do *you* think?

Cheers,
Martin

-- 
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Martin Lomas
martin at ml1.co.uk
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