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The difference exists only to the point that Google is an ethical owner of the data. I'm concerned that Google is in the business selling products based on a mo
by max76 8y ago
The difference exists only to the point that Google is an ethical owner of the data. I'm concerned that Google is in the business selling products based on a monopoly of consumer data. These products are likely to become more and more invasive as time goes on.. It's possible that a future Google product will become a larger threat to privacy than geolocation because they have a wider variety of data collected.
In summary, today's Google handles geolocation much better than telecom companies, but the mass of personal data Google collects makes their potential future activity concerning.
- dna_polymerase 8y agoThe only ethical owner of my data is myself. Whatever Google says now is worthless the second growth stalls and shareholders want to see more.
- jankeymeulen 8y agoGiven the majority of the voting rights is still with the founders, they may have a bit less shortsighted outlook.
- dna_polymerase 8y agoI have no idea where this inherent trust in people comes from. Google has shown again and again that they are just like any other company in this system.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- max76 8y agoWhile this is currently true, there is no guarantee this will remain true in the future. What happens when a founder dies?
- notatoad 8y agoA bounty hunter can't call up Google and get access to my location. If i were on T-Mobile or Sprint, they could[1]. This is not a theoretical difference. Being concerned about how Google could potentially in the future abuse all the data they've collected is a completely valid concern, but they're in no way a larger threat than the companies currently actively exploiting that data. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/nepxbz/i-gave-a-bounty-hunter-300-dollars-located-phone-microbilt-zumigo-tmobile https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/nepxbz/i-gave-a-b...
- mgleason_3 8y agoRight? And why is everyone talking about how bad Google is when AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint are selling our freaking location?!? It's nuts! If it's easier to become a bounty hunter than a barber in Idaho, then almost anyone can track someones location without their knowledge. Odds are the data's being made available in other ways we're not even aware of. And think about the impact on battered wives, someone on the wrong side of a vendetta, hell even road rage. The possibilities are staggering. https://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2016/09/09/its-easier-to-become-a-bounty-hunter-than-a-barber-in-idaho/#8639d096a8c0 https://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2016/09/09/...
- beavisthegenius 8y agoVerizon stopped.