Google Touts Worker Tracking As Own CEO Goes MIA

theodp writes "On Thursday, Google announced a product that enables a business to see where all its workers are at all times. Called Maps Coordinate, it combines a paid-for business version of Google's standard maps product with an application downloaded to a worker's smartphone, creating a real-time record of worker locations. Ironically, Google touted its worker tracking solution on the very same day that CEO Larry Page was a surprise no-show at Google's Annual Shareholder Meeting, leaving Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt to explain his absence. Schmidt explained that Page had lost his voice and, as a result, would likely also miss next week's I/O conference and possibly next month's quarterly earnings call. While a Google spokeswoman declined to comment further on Page's condition, Schmidt added that Page will continue as CEO while he recovers. So, why not reassure those worried about the situation by publicly tracking Page's location via Maps Coordinate? After all, Google's a true believer in eating its own dog food, right?"

Comments

Huh?

[Russ1642]

What kind of crap argument is that in the summary? Live tracking the CEO of Google because you're upset about your stocks. Genius.

Re:Huh?

[kidgenius]

What kind of crap argument is that in the summary? Live tracking the CEO of Google because you're upset about your stocks. Genius.

You identified it already. A crap one.

Re:Huh?

[Hatta]

No, live tracking the CEO of Google because Google is pushing live tracking of employees.

Re:Huh?

[CanHasDIY]

No, live tracking the CEO of Google because Google is pushing live tracking of employees.

Right.

It's called turnabout, and by all accounts is considered fair play.

Re:Huh?

[Khyber]

Why not? They track us all the fucking time, and we don't even work for them.

Re:Huh?

[TheGratefulNet]

since the priv'd class has their own judges, law system and rules (a closed, mini-society, essentially) I would not expect them to have to follow rules given to the worker classes.

and if I am using class warfare language, its because we ARE under class-warfare right now.

Re:Huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Google CEO is sick and likely at home,.."

Not at all, he just can't connect to Google Voice.

Re:Huh?

[thegarbz]

Wait you're right!

We never considered this in the past. We will completely rethink our strategy from this point forward.

From now on we will not track a single person, everyone's browsing habits will be anonymous.
Here's our new pricing policy:
- $0.10 per google search.
- $0.30 per click on a search result.
- $10 per month for Gmail.
- $0.50 per sqkm of map downloaded on maps.

This new pricing structure offers people exactly what they want. A completely ad free and untracked Google experience. If you do not wish to pay this pricing scheme or wish to keep using Google services for free, you can sign up for a free google experience by sending an email to please_track_me@google.com

Kind Regards
Larry Page

Google - Giving the customers the choice they always wanted.

Re:Huh?

[K. S. Kyosuke]

How will Google know how much money to ask for without actually tracking the users (and sending it to the billing department)?

Tracking employees is just wrong

[Anonymous Coward]

Today they're tracking us during office hours, tomorrow they're tracking us after-hours. What's next?

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[Anonymous Coward]

Sunday.

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[Jeng]

Today they're tracking us during office hours, tomorrow they're tracking us after-hours. What's next?

Hmm, perhaps

Mandatory yearly physicals that only the company gets to see the results of.

Pre-employment genetic testing.

Employment termination due to not living in an approved community.

Background checks of all family, friends, and neighbors.

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[SirGarlon]

Getting your friends and acquaintances to track you. Oh, wait! That's Facebook.

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[Jeng]

Already happens. In some call centers you have to put your bathroom requests into the call center management applications and then the app lets you know when you can get up and go to the bathroom.

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[Artraze]

I find it funny how "civilized society" to you means telling your employer to go pound sand if it's not precisely the time you're supposed to be in the building.
For me civilized is taking the occasional off-hours call in exchange for my employer allowing allowing me take an occasional (and, indeed, quite more frequent) bit of person time during work. Like reading and posting on slashdot, for instance. You know, like you're doing during these (ostensibly) business hours.

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[JoeMerchant]

Today they're tracking us during office hours, tomorrow they're tracking us after-hours. What's next?

Hmm, perhaps

Mandatory yearly physicals that only the company gets to see the results of.

Pre-employment genetic testing.

Employment termination due to not living in an approved community.

Background checks of all family, friends, and neighbors.

Oh, so you want to work in the Defense industry?

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[clonehappy]

Exactly. So, when I hear stories of how there are millions of jobs just waiting to be filled out here in 'Murrica, if only you sell your soul and dignity for $7.25 an hour, I don't bat an eye when I see that folks would rather choose welfare or unemployment benefits over indentured servitude. In fact, given the same situation, I believe I'd probably have to choose the same.

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[JonySuede]

I guess people just can't be drug addicts anymore once they get a degree or something.

It is worse than the, you are actually authorized to become one if you have the right job, I was missing my 20's legendary concentration ability, I talked to that to my company doctor and came out whit a prescription for 720 pills of 30mg dextroamphetamine-levolysinate. I am starting my seconds year on that, here are the effect I benefited from: a toned musculature, ripped abs, excellent cholesterol level and excellent energy(d'uh), stopped cannabis abuse, and yeah!, my concentration is back to a level I never experienced. However I am now addicted and if I forgot to take my pills I feel slow as fuck, to the point of being a borderline retard, and I am extremely irritable.

I also have a relative, a wood worker, who takes street amphetamine for the same purpose, he do not takes more than half a pills a day and it enable him to stay focused. He is also addicted.

Can someone tell me why my addiction is legally and socially acceptable but his is not ?

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[93 Escort Wagon]

MOD PARENT SIDEWAYS.

Re:Tracking employees is just wrong

[Areyoukiddingme]

I, on the other hand, received a Top Secret clearance (also long since abandoned), more than a decade ago. That was pre-9/11 and the grandparent was not far off even then. Compartmented information is a good deal more difficult to get access to than merely Secret. I can only imagine how ridiculous it has gotten in a post-9/11 world, where FUD makes so much money.

Does not correlate

[javajawa]

Really don't see how corporate tracking of employees suddenly becomes an expectation of publicly tracking an executive.

Re:Does not correlate

[Andy Dodd]

I agree. The description makes it sound like CEO caught a cold that included laryngitis... Seriously, that's not worthy of telling the whole goddamn planet where he is.

In a world where much work is done at a computer, it's pretty easy to continue as CEO of a company (especially one as tech-oriented as Google) but not be able to participate in a public speaking engagement due to laryngitis.

Re:Does not correlate

[DarkOx]

In a world where much work is done at a computer, it's pretty easy to continue as CEO of a company (especially one as tech-oriented as Google) but not be able to participate in a public speaking engagement due to laryngitis.

Yes it is pretty easy. Its really strange to suggest, today that he might miss the share holder conference more than a week from now though. That is long time to be too sick with a cold virus to participate in what is probably the CEO's most visible event all year. It almost looks like they are trying to manage expectations, which could indicate something is more deeply wrong than him just being out sick today.

Re:Does not correlate

[Eponymous Hero]

yeah like cuz he's dead. it's weekend at bernie's over at google.

WTF?

[gstoddart]

it combines a paid-for business version of Google's standard maps product with an application downloaded to a worker's smartphone, creating a real-time record of worker locations

No. A thousand times no.

I can't believe people would be willing to do this.

Re:WTF?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's no different than companies tracking workers who drive company-owned vehicles. There are many legitimate reasons to do this. Companies that do repair household appliance repair, or telecom technicians are tracked in order to give customers updated time estimates of when the employee will arrive.

Re:WTF?

[Russ1642]

Many companies already do this. It's to track work crews for things like utility repairs, on-site troubleshooting, etc. It helps with scheduling and knowing who's close by when the next call comes in. There are plenty of 3rd party software packages that do this but when Google gets into the mix suddenly it's all 1984.

Re:WTF?

[gstoddart]

when Google gets into the mix suddenly it's all 1984

No, because once the technology is available, some asshole at the C level will decide that all employees need to install this on their phone. Even if is a privately owned phone.

I don't want the government tracking where I am. I don't want my employer tracking where I am. I don't want Google tracking where I am. As soon as one of them has it, the rest of them will want access to the information.

But you're right, it sure as hell is 1984 ... once people start doing this, there's all sorts of ways it gets abused or suffers from scope creep.

Eventually it becomes a condition of employment, or any number of things. Categorically, DO NOT WANT.

Re:WTF?

[h4rr4r]

You realize lots of organizations already do this right?

Scheduling arrivals of service people and deliveries pretty much requires tracking them.

Re:WTF?

[hawguy]

I doubt this is for watching your office drones' every movement. It would be really handy for service-based businesses that need to dispatch workers to various locations. Think cable repair men. When a call comes in, the closest idle worker can be dispatched to the location. And all it requires is a cellphone.

Exactly - besides, cell phones aren't the best solution for in-building tracking. Employers that want to track employees inside building use RFID tags and Wifi tracking tags.

Re:WTF?

[NeutronCowboy]

Or, more importantly, tracking important shipments and the drivers who are tasked with delivering them. It goes from being able to provide excellent service (Bill is exactly 67 miles from your office) to knowing where it is when it has been high-jacked. This is going to replace a lot of homegrown stuff.

Re:WTF?

[WilyCoder]

If that scenario ever came to light I would make it my life goal to hack that tracking functionality.

A digital, freedom-fighter kind of hacking...

I'm dead serious.

People are so scared of technology being used to track everyone, and rightfully so.

But can' technology ALSO be used to UN-track people?

Just look at tor and bitcoin as embryonic examples of what I am trying to get at...

Re:WTF?

[hawguy]

I doubt if it was a corporate device that the end user would know (regardless of the law).

I'm off to close my gmail account now because this has disgusted me. Sorry but I will never support an organisation that promotes such things. Back to mutt and postfix!

Do you really think Google is the only provider for employee tracking?

You better stop using the internet too.... your packets are being routed over Cisco gear, and Cisco sells appliances that enable employers to track their employees via Wifi tags. By continuing to use the internet, you're supporting Cisco.

If you really wanted to take a stand against employee tracking, you'd push your legislators to make it illegal. Closing your gmail account accomplishes nothing (and no one really believes that you're going to do it unless you're already not using it) Though I do think there are many legitimate reasons for an employer to track employees, like tracking outside service technicians to predict when they will be able to go to their next call, making sure that the courier that's carrying cash between buildings doesn't make any unexpected detours (due to carjack or outright theft), tracking scientists in a lab for safety - i.e. if he enters a hazardous materials storage room but doesn't leave the room after X minutes, maybe someone should check on him, etc.

Re:WTF?

[Minwee]

If that scenario ever came to light I would make it my life goal to hack that tracking functionality.

A digital, freedom-fighter kind of hacking...

How about just a "Leaving your phone on your desk" kind of hacking?

Or would that not be exciting and edgy enough?

Re:WTF?

[coinreturn]

But it will only show your location, not how hard you're working. Plenty of people are AT work but not DOING work.

Re:WTF?

[IorDMUX]

I can't believe people would be willing to do this.

I can think of plenty of industries where this is already done to some degree -- a Google maps integration would likely only help things. A few examples:

National Park Service rangers (often using radios, at the moment) The trucking/shipping industry (OmniTRACS and the like) Utility work (dunno... GPS?) Large scale mining/quarry/construction work (again, radios) Medical, security, and service at amusement parks (again, radios -- I've done this, it's pretty important to be able to know where person X or the guy with Y equipment is at any time)

And plenty more, I'm sure. In many cases, these employees are already given a work radio or phone to keep in contact. I doubt that most of these employees take their radios home, why would they take home their company phones?

I know people are worried about scope creep and big brother and the like, but this isn't as groundbreaking as it seems. Employers have had the ability to call you at home for a long time, now, and company vehicles are often very well tracked, yet most of us don't worry about our boss watching us sleep.

Did you actually look at the product description? It is an excellent example of Google organizing, compiling, and putting in one easy to use place information that most businesses already use to operate day-to-day. The groundbreaking feature is Google's ability to process the data... ... just take a look.

Soulskill

[geek]

Leave it to Soulskill to post this crap. Time to block the editor again eh? Sad how low the standards have gotten here.

Re:Soulskill

[kidgenius]

There's a difference between posting an article about a controversial new google technology. It's quite another to stretch it out and say google is being hypocritical for not using the tech to track their ceo who is out sick. Then to go on with stupid ramblings of "assure those shareholders who are worried..." It really is stupid.

Re:Soulskill

[rgbrenner]

I'm really really confused by your comment. How can you have a UID that low AND think slashdot has standards?

Re:Soulskill

[geek]

Alzheimers

Re:Soulskill

[NatasRevol]

So you buy that he lost his voice and won't be at the quarterly earnings meeting - In late July?

That doesn't smell suspicious to you?

Re:permanent record of where everyone has been

[dkleinsc]

Who said the CEO would use this on himself? No, this kind of tracking is only for the peons.

CEO's do not equal rank-and-file employees

[unassimilatible]

So, why not reassure those worried about the situation by publicly tracking Page's location via Maps Coordinate?

Uh, because there would be no point? What does the CEO's location have to do with stock performance?

And I'm no Google fan (I'm an Apple stockholder), but there are obviously some security issues involving the whereabouts of a famous billionaire CEO (e.g., kidnap and ransom?) that don't apply to the rank-and-file employee.

Re:CEO's do not equal rank-and-file employees

[19thNervousBreakdown]

Uh, because there would be no point? What does the CEO's location have to do with stock performance?

Say, you're right! Let's stop paying them 500x what we pay rank-and-file employees while we're at it.

Re:CEO's do not equal rank-and-file employees

[swillden]

Larry Page's annual salary is $1.

He also doesn't get any stock or stock options... not sure about bonuses, but I don't think so. Of course, he personally owns a huge chunk of the $180B company, so it's not like he needs any direct income.

Re:CEO's do not equal rank-and-file employees

[swillden]

Do you know, then, that Page does get bonuses? According to Forbes, he does not -- his total compensation package is $1 per year. Obviously this is because as a founder he owns a large portion of the company. The point of my original post was that it makes no sense to complain about CEO compensation in the context of an article about Google.

Google minus one...

[mindmaster064]

There probably was a time when Google was a beneficent geek Mecca but it has morphed into a tyrannical beast. Apple and Google both make my list of disappointing companies whom have decided to use their new found power for evil. Everything Google has been doing has been concerned with undermining privacy or stifling innovation and frankly other than being forced to YouTube (for lack of alternates) I won't have anything to do with their products personally. It's time to let these power hungry money grubbing shitheads die -- they are not what they sold us in the beginning anymore.

Re:Google minus one...

[geek]

I too have issues with Google but this "story" isn't one of them.

Regardless, what are alternatives? I can't even pay for products that equal googles. I've actively looked for services as good as theirs that I can pay for and not be tracked or sold to the highest bidder. I have yet to find decent replacements to gmail, google maps, docs and search. I did switch my email over to an iCloud account since I have an iPhone and a Mac anyway but still, Apple isn't the most moral company either.

I've considered running my own services and may very well end up doing so soon. I'd rather pay someone decent though and not trouble myself with the admin overhead. I get enough of it at work, I don't need it at home too.

Re:Google minus one...

[mindmaster064]

I think the real dilemma is the psyche of the average consumer. Let's face it how many people need a cloud? It's a luxury that you're getting by subsidizing various evil empires. It's not always what you get, but rather what you endorse. I rather give an ethical company with less service the same money for a reduced service than give a corrupt one anything. Amazon provides these same services for most uses and I don't feel morally complicated by using them. They do not profit by me viewing ads or leaking my information everywhere. Some of the onus is on the user though -- blocking cookies, using tools like Collusion to see what sites are doing, and installing adblocking and hosts files. If they never get the impression they do not profit on you -- so think about that. Google search is certainly king, but you could use Duck Duck Go which is more like a search aggregation which wraps Google and others and filters the badness off of them. (Check their about page... they're really good...)

Re:Google minus one...

[jmerlin]

Well one problem is that they have an "apps for business" and they specifically market to businesses, but they offer no business features. For instance, not having the software change on you. It's not a business feature for software to significantly change over-night requiring re-training of employees. That's a reason not to buy/use software, if anything. For that reason, almost any other service is better than any of their apps. How would you like it if your SQL db automatically updated itself and broke half your triggers and queries, or if your programming language was constantly being updated with backwards compatibility not a primary focus and you couldn't compile on an older version, thus requiring you to rewrite millions of lines of code every few months, potentially? That's pretty much the same impact a massive UI usability downgrade has on a large company that relies on a google app would have (like the recent GMail interface epic wtf fail).

Re:Google minus one...

[TheGratefulNet]

it has backfired on them, with many of us geeks.

non-geeks seem to like google and don't see or can't see the dark side. they also are fine with apple and MS, too, usually.

the geeks largely did take google on their word to not be evil. its been shown that this is no longer the case (hasn't been for quite some time) and while that brings them down to where every other mega-corp is, it stings worse when your confidence has been shaken or you feel you have been intentionally lied to or misled.

if google just was always an ad-company and was shameless about it, we could accept it for what it is, like many others. but they acted like they were inherently good and would always be doing the 'right thing'. we feel more betrayed since they sugar-coated their lie and kept saying it, with a straight face, for so long.

we get that they collect and sell info. and whatever gets us to their pages, where they collect our 'web-prints', is just a cost overhead to them disguised as a product or service to the users.

I really wonder if googlers think about this stuff, at night. do they see where their company is going? all the things they do and the plans they have? they are ok with this? I really wonder.

Re:Google minus one...

[Areyoukiddingme]

Speak for yourself. They're still a long way from evil in my book, especially since a lot of what you apparently object to is easily avoidable—tracking cookies can be disabled and deleted, there are many other mail providers (including the ability to host your own if you have an even halfway reasonable ISP with pseudo-static or static IPs), there are other web app providers, and you sure as hell don't have to use an Android phone. Even search can be used in obfuscated, anonymized form, if it really bothers you.

Meanwhile, some of us think Android was an incredibly valuable gift. You would prefer, perhaps, an unassailable Apple hegemony in smart phones? Really?

Not to mention Google successfully bullied the FCC into approving Whitespace Devices, which will go a long way toward cleaning up the spectral mess that wifi has become.

Not to mention Google is trying their hand at being a direct-to-customer fiber-to-the-home internet service provider, an arena that desperately needs a non-telco non-cable competitor.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but if Google's tracking habits are successfully tracking you against your will, you're not a very good geek.

Re:Where's the ethics?

[TheGratefulNet]

they turn a blind eye.

treat them like primadonnas, give them free lunch and fancy perks and they'll turn a blind eye.

seriously. its easy to convince kids (most are kids, lets be honest) to ignore long-term ethical considerations when , OOH SHINEY! is given to them, again and again.

I am not Waldo or Carmen Sandiego.

[fahrbot-bot]

Perhaps it's just me, but when I'm not at work, or traveling for work, it's none of my company's fucking business where I am.

Re:Where's the ethics?

[Jeng]

Google's unofficial motto.

Information wants to be collated and sold!

Re:Where's the ethics?

[Jeng]

In practice weapons that can be used by the individual are worse than weapons that requires thousands of people to use.

So yes, a bomb that can blow up an entire city and makes the city radioactive sounds really bad, luckily so bad they don't get used outside of two early proof of concept bombs. If it wasn't for the threat of nuclear warfare I have no doubts that the US and USSR would have at some point engaged in direct full fledged warfare. None of that silly cold war stuff.

The AK-47 is responsible for more deaths by far than nuclear weapons. And land mines kill and maim thousands of people a year, mainly non-combatants.

Lost his voice?

[Skapare]

Isn't there an Android app that is a copy of Stephen Hawking's voice?

Lost His Voice

[Greyfox]

Oh, here's your problem, when you Google "Larry Page's Voice" you get all these crap news articles about how Larry Page lost his voice, not where he might find it again. I assume he looked in all the usual places; the car, under the couch in the employee break room. Maybe he should implement GPS tracking for his voice in case this happens again.

Re:Where's the ethics?

[rtaylor]

Add up the number of deaths by nuke.

Now add up the numebr of deaths by gunshot.

Which is larger?