Three days ago Wired posted a story entitled “Google Privacy Practices Worse Than ISP Snooping, AT&T Charges“. This is coming off of the news that AT&T was found to be conspiring with the NSA to spy on people’s internet activities and the argument put forward by AT&T is that Google is far guiltier of spying than anyone else.
Amongst other ridiculous things, they say:
If anything the largely invisible practices of ad-networks raise even greater privacy concerns than do the behavioral advertising techniques that ISPs could employ, such as deep-packet-inspection
They might have had a point if it weren’t for the fact that we as users of the internet are wholly in charge of what our browser sees and does allowing us to disable tracking cookies and web scripts altogether. Even with an opt-out option, what is to stop agencies subpoenaing the ISPs and forcing them to track or disclose the information available to them.
Ultimately I think we have no reason to distrust Google - Their services are entirely free and their tracking services can be disabled and any histories gathered can be deleted easily via their site. I genuinely believe Google uses the data they gather to provide us with a better experience - Whereas even AT&Ts legitimate reasoning is to help them make money through advertising.
I appreciate Google does this, but then they also provide the best search engine which quite frankly did more to help the internet than all the backbone cables run by the telecom companies.
I honestly find AT&T’s accusations hillarious! They were caught with their hand in the cookie jar, then the NSA scandal was effectively like having their genitals in the cookie jar … Then they turned around and pointed at Google who have a history of filling the cookie jar and accused them of being worse.
It’s retarded AT&T and I hope that not only this class action law suit really hurts but that Google’s retort hurts.
Regards,
JamesR.
Have my own work email and log in now … Huzzah!
News Time! I will be coming down to Gosport Thursday and will be getting into town shortly after mid day. I will be attending the quiz at the Railway and meeting up for something to eat at around 3 or 4.
