Google: We Can Be Trusted With Your Data
Google's CEO says people wouldn't use Google if it couldn't be trusted.
Google has gotten a lot of criticism over the accidental harvesting of WiFi and router data via the Google Street View cars. The search giant admitted its blunder after German Data Protection Authority asked to audit the WiFi data collected by the Google Street View cars. The mistake raised a number of questions about privacy and several countries launched investigations into the matter, including Canada, France, Germany and Spain.
Google is no stranger to criticism when it comes to user data and privacy. In a recent interview, CEO Eric Schmidt assured the Telegraph that user data is safe with Google because a combination of criticism, customers and competition keeps the company in check.
"I think the criticism is fine. I think criticism informs us, it makes us better. It doesn't bother me at all," said Schmid.
"Those concerns are real - I'm not trying to move away from them. The fact of the matter is that if you're online all the time, computers are generating a lot of information about you. This is not a Google decision, this is a societal decision. In Britain, you all allow yourselves to be photographed on every street corner. Where are the riots?"
Schmid goes on to say that all of Google's testing indicates that the vast majority of people are happy with its policy.
"The reality is we make decisions based on what the average user tells us and we do check. And the reason that you should trust us is that if we were to violate that trust people would move immediately to someone else. We're very non-sticky so we have a very high interest in maintaining the trust of those users."
Do you trust Google with your data? Let us know in the comments below!
(Via the Telegraph)
- Google ,
- Eric-Schmidt ,
- Privacy ,
- Security
- EU Could Force Apple to Put Flash on iPad, iPhone
- LG Confirms Android Tablet, Froyo Phones for 2010
- Prince Says ''The Internet's Completely Over''
- Meet the Cable of the Future: CAT5e/6 LAN Cable
- Is This MSFT's Version of Apple's Magic Mouse?
- First Phones with Intel Chips to Hit in 2011
- VIDEO: Asetek Shows Liquid-Cooled AIO Prototype
- Thermaltake Reveals Nvidia-Branded Chassis
- Epic: We Haven't Abandoned the PC
- Blizzard Opens Writing Contest for WoW, SC, Diablo
- Intel's 'Project Offset' First Person Shooter Canned
- Windows 7 Saves 43 Hours, or $1,400 Per PC
- Activision Wants Consoles to be Replaced by PCs
- Blizzard Demands Your Real Name for Forums
- It's a Fermi Blowout! Win A GeForce GTX 480!
- Deals for July 7: Beats Dr Dre Headphones $86.18
- Hitachi External HDDs Looks Sleek, Does Cloud
- Buffalo Unveils 256GB IDE-Based SSDs
I would not trust google or anyone out there with my data. For example, google has a bad reputation in banning youtube accounts with no sound reason (mostly funny IP rights situations), making people loose their videos overnight, sometimes years of work. Internet is still a wild west from juridic point of view and I am afraid Google and such rule it. I am not gonna give them more power.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin - 1775
It's not that I don't trust google. I don't trust the government not to demand the data they've collected.
x2. I do not trust Google at all in any shape or form but its difficult when so many people adore their mobile platform and SCREAM that every single damn laptop should have the Google OS installed. Sure, people forget that there's far too many versions of Android etc and the small issues.
Madness. Then again, on the other side, they do offer a whole lot of great stuff for free. There is, however, always a catch
replica watches @@@@ buying has become very popular nowadays. One of the main reasons is that
replica watches are surprisingly less expensive than the authentic ones while their quality is comparable to the authentic ones. However, there are a few things need to pay attention to in a satisfying replica watches buying.