There are a lot more they can track than the search history. Google maps app has a timeline feature that tracks every place I go :)
You can turn that off here, FYI: https://myaccount.google.com/u/1/activitycontrols
Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
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Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#102Honestly at this point I wonder how much there is between what US agents can do with a FISA warrant and what Chinese agents can do with their surveillance - if there is a difference it’ll be pretty small I imagine.
I’m not trying to justify Dragonfly but just pointing out that tech companies are being pushed into more censorship and tracking by governments all over the world.
Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
The idea that this appeasement will make Google a contender in China is blazingly ignorant of Chinese politics. No foreign company will ever be allowed to gain significant market share; it would be seen as a national security threat. The only way for Google would be to forge an equal partnership with a Chinese tech giant---Tencent, Alibaba, Huawei, or maybe one of the two dominant cell carriers. Google is selling out…
>Google is selling out for nothing. I don't understand the notion. Google already censors anything they like with very advanced methods that even provide them with plausible deniability, high specificity etc. And I bet they're better than the Chinese at tracking literally everything you do online and connecting that with your real, offline identity, complete with your entire social network graph, your biometrics, SSN…
Censorship is a government action. When people and private companies do it, it's called filtering. There's a world of difference between an individual or company having control over data vs. a government. People and companies with heavy influence can mess things up a quite a bit, sure, but they can't arrest, imprison, sentence or put anyone to death.
Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#104Well sure, they censor/manipulate their users, why wouldn’t they do the same to their employees?
That fiasco earlier this year with James Damore comes to mind.
Damore was fired for perpetuating gender stereotypes. Even he confirmed it. That isn't unique to Google, and employee policy is not manipulation of search results.
Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#105Well sure, they censor/manipulate their users, why wouldn’t they do the same to their employees?
You do realize that anything you do for your employer belongs to your employer? And that protecting trade secrets is part of practically every employer agreement? There are whistleblower exceptions, but generally, if you can't be trusted to keep secrets, you're not a professional.
This is whistleblowing.
Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#106Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
Regarding iCloud, Apple has made decisions to bring Chinese iCloud in compliance with Chinese regulations. Chinese iCloud accounts, data, and encryption keys are stored with a Chinese firm overseen by the Chinese government.
Yep. Apple moved their keys to be stored locally on state-owned servers, meaning that Apple has given the Chinese government access to Chinese user data. Apple even updated their TOS for it.
Not according to Apple [1]:
>Apple says the joint venture does not mean that China has any kind of “backdoor” into user data and that Apple alone – not its Chinese partner – will control the encryption keys.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-apple-icloud-insigh...
Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#108Why is there no such outrage over google closely tacking search users in America?
Because Google doesn't come to your house, take you in for questioning and then pressuring you into confessing that you did something wrong which disturbed civil order. Stories about what happens in China: https://chinachange.org/
They would still send your data to the government when there is a subpoena I suppose
Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#109[flagged]
Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster." - Nietzsche
In terms of tracking everything and having a file on everyone Google and Western governments are already there. The only saving grace is that they don't use that information all the time to get people in trouble -- but they could, just look at the whole airport security thing. However, in terms of the ability to abuse, they are already well at par with anything China can do. And really it does not matter if they help…
There's a major problem with this. Actions are what decide the values of an individual or a company. Nearly all horrible actions throughout history were certainly rationalized by at least one actor as reasonable and just, if not outright good. I've no doubt that your rationalization is likely similar to the rationalizations that the numerous US companies (IBM, Coke, Ford, Bayer, GM, Chase, etc) used when deciding to aid and support the Nazis.
Of course in hindsight you judge these companies not by their rationalizations, but by their actions. And this is how it should be. Rationalizations or Machiavellianism are ironically myopic. The means (or rationalizations) do not justify the ends. The ends are rarely predictable and often are far different than what we may ever expect. By contrast we live, each and every day, through the direct consequences of the means. Many people find China's actions morally dubious, and Google is now directly engaging in behavior that will, at the minimum, enhance the ability of Chinese authorities to track and 'handle' individuals who run afoul of state interests. These actions are what inform you of Google's values.