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New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

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Re: New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

#61

Post by jimmy1 »

tossaccount123 wrote: post #50
benschulz wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This attitude makes me so off the charts angry, I struggle to put it into words. I think Jews in Germany in the 1920s didn't think they were doing anything wrong, or feel a need to actively hide it.

It's fascinating how obviously smart people can rationalize their actions. Schmidt and Google claim to be "progressive" but that kind of rationale of "nothing to hide" would mean that every progressive movement would have been shut down in its early stages had this kind of tech and surveillance been available at the time because it went against what was currently judged as right by the people in power

What was the point of you pointing out Eric's claim to a particular political ideology after a statement of his intelligence? Are you somehow implying one is more virtuous / intelligent than another? If we changed that to conservatism does that your meaning or what you were trying to convey?

Re: New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

#62

Post by annapurna »

levesque wrote: post #9
mscasts wrote: post #5

This is scary stuff. Thank you norway for taking the fight against Google. How can you turn this off on an android?

iOS is becoming more attractive by the day.

That's what it's become for me and my circle. Got my parents the older iPhones (6S) late last year and got the same for myself this month. I miss being able to access the local storage (one small hack I found was using the Firefox app local folder to store my files)

Re: New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

#65

Post by itronitron »

baxtr wrote: post #3

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." Eric Schmidt, 2009

Interesting that I remember this differently than how it is commonly quoted now. I thought (right or wrong) that he said "..., maybe you shouldn't be posting it online in the first place." which is easier to agree with than 'you shouldn't be doing it'

Re: New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

#66

Post by arminiusreturns »

colde wrote: post #40
tossaccount123 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://wikileaks.org/google-is-not-what-it-seems/ A good read on Google and Eric Schmidt's relationship with the State Department and federal government in general "There was nothing politically hapless about Eric Schmidt. I had been too eager to see a politically unambitious Silicon Valley engineer, a relic of the good old days of computer science graduate culture on the West Coast"

I am not sure that is really a trustworthy source at this point. Particularly since it seems to focus a lot on involving Hillary.

That's a ridiculous assertion against a news org that has a better track record than just about any other news org in existence, and it's sad to see people falling for this line of thinking.

Re: New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

#67

Post by AlexandrB »

northerdome wrote: post #10

Honestly tired of Europe pretending like they are so high and mighty for flagging tech companies for "privacy violations." Frankly it's insulting to say that adults cannot decide for themselves how they want their data used. At this point, users know if you turn on Google tracks you. It is worth it to many for the convenience of quality results Google delivers. If it isn't turn it off. But to say it is Google's fault…

This is comical. I try really hard to keep Google from tracking me. I use DDG, FastMail, iOS, have pseudonymous accounts for logging into Youtube. But I know Google still has a pile of information on me through reCaptcha, trackers on various web sites (Google analytics for starters) and services that use the Google Maps API. So I'm left with the nagging sense that I'm still being tracked by Google, no matter what I do. There is no real choice available. Google will track you in some way, your "decisions as an adult" be damned.

Re: New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

#68

Post by scottwernervt »

sf_rob wrote: post #11
levesque wrote: post #4

I tried using Google Maps without search history turned on. It's basically a downgraded version. They tied saving locations with the search history, so it won't let you search for friends' contacts, set a home address, etc. Is it on purpose? I don't know, but I find it weird that they would tie some unrelated features together. Why does setting a Home address require search history?

They appear to have fixed this in the past year. I had the same issue.

I still get asked to enable web history to set my home address: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ugdx10p8yfm24k8/Screenshot_2019020...

Re: New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

#69

Post by toss1 »

All this tracking is obviously one-sided.

I might not mind it so much if I had access to sufficiently granular data to make it useful, such as automatic workout tracking. I'm sure they have the data and the AI to notice that I'm on foot/bike moving at a higher-than-normal pace and on one of my usual workout routes. Or, to provide nice detailed reports of my commute (min/max, variance, total time, etc.)...

But no, the only data we get is rough, 'you visited store X yesterday, want to review it?', when I actually only visited the much smaller store nearby...

There is already starting a backlash from this massively greedy -- in both data & money -- culture. It would not surprise me to see it overshoot and seriously cripple the industry if the participants don't become a bit more self-aware.

Re: New study: Google manipulates users into constant tracking

#70

Post by zepto »

jimmy1 wrote: post #61
tossaccount123 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's fascinating how obviously smart people can rationalize their actions. Schmidt and Google claim to be "progressive" but that kind of rationale of "nothing to hide" would mean that every progressive movement would have been shut down in its early stages had this kind of tech and surveillance been available at the time because it went against what was currently judged as right by the people in power

What was the point of you pointing out Eric's claim to a particular political ideology after a statement of his intelligence? Are you somehow implying one is more virtuous / intelligent than another? If we changed that to conservatism does that your meaning or what you were trying to convey?

Seems pretty clear that the comment was meant to show a conflict between Schmidt’s statement and his political leanings.

I don’t see how this implies anything about a particular political ideology being more virtuous. Why would you even think that?

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