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Google's Data-Storage Fuels Privacy Fears

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the something-to-think-about dept.

taoman1 writes "Facing worries about its tracking Web surfers' every move, Google Inc. is now offering a feature to track Web surfers' every move. Its free Web History service is strictly voluntary — Google users can sign up to have the Internet giant keep detailed records of every website they visit so they can easily find them again later. Web History's quiet debut this week came as privacy advocates continued to raise alarms about the prospect of Google combining its collection of information on individuals with that of DoubleClick Inc. Google has agreed to acquire the New York-based company, which distributes Web ads and tracks where the majority of people go on the Internet, for $3.1 billion."

8 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Stricly Voluntary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It's strictly voluntary. Privacy advocates should put their tin foil hat back on and switch off their computers.

  2. Others Features We All Want to Volunteer For by WED+Fan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Google says you can opt in for this. They suggest other great ideas to opt in for:

    • Extra Fuel Burner - Your car uses twice as much fuel as the stated MPG
    • Credit Broadcaster - A great tool to notify internet users about your credit rating, account balances, and account numbers
    • Wife Notifier - lets your spouse know every chat room you go to
    --
    Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.
    1. Re:Others Features We All Want to Volunteer For by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Windows Genuine Advantage fits right in among those suggestions. /melot

  3. Why can't I by gitarman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why can't I get the same storage service Alberto Gonzolez gets at the RNC?

  4. Re:What data storage? by russ1337 · · Score: 4, Funny

    because the NSA are not very good at giving back the hardware to the company from which they subpoenaed it.

  5. Creepy is as creepy does. by ScrewMaster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Depending on how you look at it, kinda useful, but nonetheless creepy.

    Almost thirty years, back in the Apple ][ days, ago a friend of mine was playing a text adventure game (I forget which one). So, after he played the thing for a while, it asked him a question using his first name. He got all freaked out, "How did it know my name?!!"

    I told him "Because when you started the game it asked you for it."

    "Oh."

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  6. Re:Future Hauntings by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, it's going to be the videos you uploaded to YouTube (remember those videos?) That'll get you hosed....

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  7. Re:Is it wrong of me to actually like this service by sirkha · · Score: 2, Funny

    Its all the 13 year olds searching for porn that don't want their parents to find out.