Google knows _everything_ about you.

[JohnStack]

Want to know where you've been? Even if you might not be able to remember, Google knows.

Check this out. The interface is a bit wonky and takes some time - but after a bit, you'll be surprised. I have an Android phone - so it _really_ knows.

It even gave me detail when I was in Vietnam in February. Incredible.

https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0/

[Eaglezsoar]

Want to know where you've been? Even if you might not be able to remember, Google knows.

Check this out. The interface is a bit wonky and takes some time - but after a bit, you'll be surprised. I have an Android phone - so it _really_ knows.

It even gave me detail when I was in Vietnam in February. Incredible.

https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0/

Yes it is incredible that they can track everything we do whether we want them to or not. A price we pay for technology I guess.
I personally do not like all of this tracking, facial recognition, etc. I would like to believe that it would benefit people but I am not
so naive to believe that. It is what it is and I accept it but I do not have to like it.

[McSlappy]

How many reasons do you need to NOT use an android phone? The less you give Google, the better.

[Generic Default]

I think it's more than just android phones. Anything with a camera, microphone, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, RFID, or antenna in it can (and will be) monitored.

Just wait for google glass and let other people do the monitoring of you without your consent.

[McSlappy]

While anything with these components could monitor you, Google's modus operandi is the collection of your personal data in order to build a profile of you in order to sell you things or sell your data to someone else. This isn't the goal of all companies. If the news this last year hasn't made you lose faith in Google or Facebook, then you're a braver human than I

[barry99705]

While anything with these components could monitor you, Google's modus operandi is the collection of your personal data in order to build a profile of you in order to sell you things or sell your data to someone else. This isn't the goal of all companies. If the news this last year hasn't made you lose faith in Google or Facebook, then you're a braver human than I

Have fun with your flip phone then. They all do it.

[McSlappy]

... and that's why they probably wont change because we're willing to sell our privacy for convenience.

[Max]

Some what awesome... My girl took me to a place for lunch a few weeks ago, and I wanted to take her back to a place near by, but I couldn't remember the location. But honestly why didn't goggle just make a reservation for me?

[geolupulus]

Mine doesn't show any history. Strange. I use chrome and am logged into my account most of the time.

[barry99705]

Mine doesn't show any history. Strange. I use chrome and am logged into my account most of the time.

Do you have an Android phone?

... and that's why they probably wont change because we're willing to sell our privacy for convenience.

They don't sell our data directly. No one gets anything that says barry99705 was browsing blow up sex sheep and mint flavored, striped, ribbed condoms. They get "this week 200 people were searching for inflatable love dolls and 15,000 people were searching for novelty condoms". Most of the advertising you see from google is generated by programs and the data is almost never looked at.

[McSlappy]

True Barry, there's a lot of data to look at individually. But it does exist and it *can* be looked at if someone were so inclined. Lets just hope that no one ever needs to hold anything against you.
Heaven forbid 3d printing becomes synonymous with an anti-government movement or something

[barry99705]

True Barry, there's a lot of data to look at individually. But it does exist and it *can* be looked at if someone were so inclined. Lets just hope that no one ever needs to hold anything against you.
Heaven forbid 3d printing becomes synonymous with an anti-government movement or something

Heh, I'm pretty sure I'm already on a list or two from my other hobbies.

[geneb]

Hell if someone ISN'T watching me like a hawk, somebody needs to be fired.

g.

[McSlappy]

I don't mind if you *need* watching and are being watched. Perhaps there is a higher than normal percentage of us here that do need watching. I really dislike the indiscriminate and widespread data gathering that has been happening.

We could go into a pretty deep discussion on this whole thing... I just want my government to represent us and our best interests.

[Demolishun]

Number one:
The news is mostly lies.

Number two:
One of the few companies actively complaining about the US government walking all over our privacy and tracking us is Google itself. They are actively working to defend digital privacy of individuals and companies. They speak out against the secret meetings designed to regulate the internet and the information itself.

So, put 1 and 2 together:
The media is concert with the government to trash Google for speaking out against their despotic activities.

[McSlappy]

Yes the news is mostly lies

I think Google does what is necessary to maintain a certain brand image. Being outwardly anti-privacy is bad for their business image, but not for their business model so they're in a bit of a difficult situation.

There's been a few articles lately which mention their cozy relationship with the NSA.

Perhaps both the media and Google lie :/

[Demolishun]

Such things people say...
...are turning out to be true these days...

[atoff]

Google knows I have no life.

[astroboy907]

No one gets anything that says barry99705 was browsing blow up sex sheep and mint flavored, striped, ribbed condoms.

But now they think that because you posted it on the internet



But otherwise google has no location data for me

[McSlappy]

It's hilarious and sad the change in thinking that I've undergone this last year.... Not long after Snowden went public I saw some Alex Jones rant on TV and I thought "My god, this nutter might actually be correct about some things"

I'm still not sure if I'm distressed or terribly distressed about this.

[barry99705]

Look at it this way. Look at your inbox and outbox. How many email addresses end in @google.com? Now the next question is how many of the email address that don't end in that, get forwarded to someone who does by someone else? Even if you stop using google completely(good luck) right now, they'd still know a shit ton about you.

[snoman002]

A lot of true words have been said in here.

Still, Google, Apple, etc only know what we let them know.

What I find worse than Google knowing what I let them know, is the gooberment telling (not asking) those companies to give up that info and offering the companies no recourse to fight it. Essentially the Bush admin (BTW, registered republican here) granted government entities the ability to tell private companies that they must give up info if asked, and no they can't tell anybody else what they provided. Heck Google, Microsoft, etc have been fighting just to tell people how many times they have been asked for info, not even what info it was.

On the flip side, tracking will become so easy with these devices that nobody will remember how to do it the 'old' way, and hiding will require little more than giving up credit cards and cell phones.

[JohnStack]

Can't do anything about it...

[Generic Default]

On the flip side, tracking will become so easy with these devices that nobody will remember how to do it the 'old' way, and hiding will require little more than giving up credit cards and cell phones.

And staying out of the field of view of anyone wearing google glass. They run image processing software (facial recognition included) and send thumbnail images to federal databases for comparison, of course those pictures of your face are tagged with the GPS coords of where the glasshole was at the time the image was recorded.

[Eaglezsoar]

I am going to the costume shop and getting a fake beard, fake eyebrows, a huge cowbow hat, and whatever it takes so they won't facially recognize me as
Prince Charles.