Google Chief in Privacy

[Stringent]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12...dt_on_privacy/

If you're concerned about Google retaining your personal data, then you must be doing something you shouldn't be doing. At least that's the word from Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

Errr no.

[shaithis]

What a retard.

I think I just went right off of goggle :S

[chuckskull]

After all, this is the man who banned CNet for a year after the news site published information about him it had gleaned from, yes, Google.

LOL.

Just because it's not morally wrong or illegal doesn't mean people don't want to keep it private.

Nothing wrong with taking a dump, perfectly natural, everybody does it, but I wouldn't want to share it with the world.

[Singh400]

Ahhhh LOL, this is brilliant. Now where did that Google DNS thread go...nuff said

[Saracen]

If that typifies Google's attitude over what they can glean from searches, imagine what the chances of me ever trusting them with my data over web apps or cloud computing are? I'm more likely to win every Gold medal at the 2012 Olympics than I am to trust them with my actual data, instead of just a few web searches.

This type of corporate attitude to privacy is commonplace, and we can't avoid it entirely. All we can do if we care about it (and I do) is to take all reasonable precautions to minimise it. For instance, I won't use a store "reward" card when shopping because I don't want to be datamined any more than I can help, and I pay cash at the supermarket most of the time for the same reason. Of course, that means giving up the few quid they offer in "rewards", but in my view, foregoing that is a small price to pay to keep a low profile. I just wish it was possible to force a mandatory opt-out of such corporate tracking.

And as for Google's CEO's attitude about our privacy, if I were to describe what I think of that. I'd have to ban myself for bypassing our swear filters.

I'll use Google search, where it suits me, but as for other products, not a hope in hell.