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Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

theintercept.com

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Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a source of him confirming it? Genuinely curious. I'm just going off of his interview with Joe Rogan.

>Damore has confirmed to multiple outlets that he was terminated for “perpetuating gender stereotypes.” https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/8/8/16106728/google-fire...

Ok thanks, I think I misunderstood what you were saying.

I thought you meant that he went on record saying something like "I'm perpetuating gender stereotypes".

Instead, it looks like he's just confirmed that Google thought he was perpetuating gender stereotypes, and that's what he was fired for, which is no surprise.

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#172
post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've tried it multiple times and logging into a Google website automatically logs you into the browser itself (not just the website). Trying to clear cookies now doesn't clear Google's cookies either. Chrome 69.

Not for me it doesn't. 69 on Mac OS.

It's not just JoshMnem who has this, the same happens to me. Running 69 on Windows.

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#173
post #133
post #88

I guess we’ll get a new blog post from Pichai about the people he fired because tracking users against their wishes, exposing data against their wishes, and compelling employees to delete their own files “contrary to our basic values and our Code of Conduct.” [0] Fortunately Google is an ethical company and not hypocritical when it comes to very important issues. Maybe this will be positive and result in new US law l…

> prevents US companies and their subsidiaries from bribing officials in other countries That's how US lost Africa, and China acquired it.

While the US certainly lost business because of this, it’s hard to say that they lost Africa when there’s still huge FDI in Africa [0] even compared to China the US had $50B in 2014-the last year I found both country data- vs China’s $32B. FCPA is 40 years old.

China will surpass the US in Africa, but they’ll surpass the US in everything economic, eventually.

[0] https://www.statista.com/statistics/188594/united-states-dir... [1] https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2018/07/25/fi...

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can turn that off here, FYI: https://myaccount.google.com/u/1/activitycontrols

Does turning it off stop the data collection, or just remove it from view?

>You can use your Activity controls to choose what kinds of activity are saved to your Google Account. These settings apply on all devices that are signed in to your account. You can change these settings and view or delete your saved activity at any time.

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6139018

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#175
post #154
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That report doesn't say that Apple no longer retains control of the keys.

> That report doesn't say that Apple no longer retains control of the keys. Even if it does (which is unclear), do you think Apple will be able to refuse if the Chinese government asks for them? I wouldn't be surprised of "the laws and regulations of China" say that Apple is required to turn them over.

>Even if it does (which is unclear), do you think Apple will be able to refuse if the Chinese government asks for them? I wouldn't be surprised of "the laws and regulations of China" say that Apple is required to turn them over.

Apple says that they respond to valid legal requests, but that isn't any different than when iCloud data was stored in the US. If you thought that Apple would cave to any request for data from the Chinese before, then there's no material difference by storing Chinese iCloud data in China.

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a source of him confirming it? Genuinely curious. I'm just going off of his interview with Joe Rogan.

>Damore has confirmed to multiple outlets that he was terminated for “perpetuating gender stereotypes.” https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/8/8/16106728/google-fire...

[deleted]

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#177
post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody said that Apple no longer retains control of the keys. The point is that the Chinese government has access to Apple user data and Apple is complicit.

>Nobody said that Apple no longer retains control of the keys. The point is that the Chinese government has access to Apple user data and Apple is complicit. The Chinese government has the exact same access to Apple user data as before, which is through Apple. Who controls the keys is what matters.

>The Chinese government has the exact same access to Apple user data as before, which is through Apple.

No, the Chinese government now owns the servers with the key storage. They now have access to all the keys and user data at rest.

If the Chinese government is accessing all the user data because they requested Apple to put the user keys on their now-state-owned servers, then why does it matter if Apple controls the keys? You're still splitting hairs.

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#178
post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to be clear, you're saying that it is unprofessional to tell the press if you know your colleagues aided in the torture and imprisonment of a dissident?

Google is doing what already happens in China. What if the torturer used Google to look up torturing techniques? We should just leak all of their source code. To go even further, the taxes China collects the imports you buy may be paying the torturer. I'm going to need you to give all your credit card information for me to make sure.

No, sorry, you can't evade moral culpability like that. Congress was correct to call Yahoo's actions regarding Shi Tao "inexcusably negligent behavior at best, and deliberately deceptive behavior at worst".

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#179
post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Nobody said that Apple no longer retains control of the keys. The point is that the Chinese government has access to Apple user data and Apple is complicit. The Chinese government has the exact same access to Apple user data as before, which is through Apple. Who controls the keys is what matters.

>The Chinese government has the exact same access to Apple user data as before, which is through Apple. No, the Chinese government now owns the servers with the key storage. They now have access to all the keys and user data at rest. If the Chinese government is accessing all the user data because they requested Apple to put the user keys on their now-state-owned servers, then why does it matter if Apple controls the…

[deleted]

Re: Google Suppresses Memo Revealing Plans to Closely Track Search Users in China

#180
post #103
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>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.

Censorship is not at all limited to government action. It is "the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security."

Anybody with suppressional power over information can do it.

"Filtering" is not descriptive of what is happening either, that word trivializes and even gives the action a positive connotation. Filtering removes stuff nobody wants, it cleans, it gets rid of debris and trash.

Beware of word subversion! If you try to make morally bankrupt actions harder to describe depending on the actor then you're attempting speech and thought control.

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