Revision of privacy
Once again, privacy is a hot topic. In recent days we’ve become more and more exercised about our right to determine what can be known about us, and how that knowledge can be used. As Google have said on their new policy page, “this stuff matters”. Some of the concern relates to the possible changes in the way personal information might be combined in the future, thus revealing complex relationships that would otherwise remain hidden. Interesting things happen when you combine separate sources of information, as over 100,000 pensioners discovered recently. Google intends to make it possible to share personal information across more than 60 services that are currently under separate privacy policies. The automated cross-referencing of such information will quite seriously mean that Google will probably know (more) things about you that you didn’t know yourself.
What kind of information will Google have? According to their policy, across all the services they offer, the knowledge they will have will include:
- Your IP address. This means they will know (roughly) where you are. If you have a fixed IP, they will know precisely who you are. If you are using their service from your company’s network, Google will know who you work for. If they sometimes see IPs from other companies in your information, they will know where you have been. They will know the coffee shop, bar, partner, supplier, friend or competitor that you visit. Wherever you log into a Google service, the IP address of the place you are located will be on record.
- Your phone number(s), if you use your phone to avail of a Google service.
- The type of phone, laptop, tablet or other computing device you use, how you are using it, and how much data you are pumping through it. Combine this knowledge with your phone number and IP address and they can make a pretty good guess at the kind of disposable income you have. (They will know if you have been using the same battered laptop for years, or if you’ve changed your fancy mobile device three times since your birthday. And yes, they’ll know your birthday too.)
- Past search queries. Essentially, Google will remember everything that you ever searched for, and where you tend to search for certain things. They will be able to profile you according to your location, time of day, your habits, your relations, closeness to events like birthdays, and much more.
In theory, with enough data mining and pattern matching, Google could observe your search and purchase patterns for the weeks before your birthday and tailor searches for your spouse to ensure that vendors have the best chance of making a sale. You get a nice present, your spouse is happy you liked it, the vendor is happy for the sale, Google attracts more vendors… and this all happens without you really understanding what happened.
Of course, this is a contrived extreme example, but it’s technically possible. It’s also quite public. The privacy policy and the terms of service outline quite clearly what the users are permitting the service to do with their personal information. If you don’t like the new policy, you have about a month to collect your data from Google and close your accounts, and never visit Google again.
For most of us, though, it will be business as usual, but with improved birthday presents.
Categorised as: Legal and Political