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Repressive regimes like the UK and the US, et cetera. I don't think it's fair to blame Google if they are complying with the law of the land and the wishes of

Repressive regimes like the UK and the US, et cetera. I don't think it's fair to blame Google if they are complying with the law of the land and the wishes of society as expressed through the democratic process.

guard-of-terra 12y ago
I think this is as bad as trying to comply with backseat driver directions, verbatim. They are supposed to know how not to drive their product into the tree. Society doesn't. Their search is their product, and not "society's".
- deciplex 12y ago
  Their product does belong to "society" to the extent that it is bound by the laws of that society. And if we pass laws that require them to spy on their users for the government, we can hardly complain when they follow the law.
  - guard-of-terra 12y ago
    They still have the choice of telling us "no". That's because our laws prohibit forced labor. They even said "no" before, in China, for example. But now it will be increasingly hard for them given what they sell for money.
    - deciplex 12y ago
      I don't think that's reasonable to expect. You're asking an entire company of thousands of people - people who also participate in society and vote in elections - to teach society a lesson or something by refusing to do work you disagree with (and, for the record, I disagree with too). Probably a lot of people at Google are okay with spying - many of them helped elect Diane Feinstein, after all. I have a good idea where this is all headed, and probably within my lifetime people like you and me are going to be able to deal out some pretty damn bitter "I told you so's". In the meantime I will try to keep that from happening by trying to educate people, for as long as doing so doesn't get me killed. But expecting a group of people, many of whom don't agree with me anyway, to practice some mild civil disobedience on my behalf, would accomplish very little other than to drive me mad.
      - guard-of-terra 12y ago
        The problem is not that they are pro- or against spying. The problem is they undermine how secure internet and HTTPS works and how people perceive it. They're heading us for the world where nobody will even be in control WRT how much info is collected and what it is about.

guard-of-terra 12y ago

I think this is as bad as trying to comply with backseat driver directions, verbatim. They are supposed to know how not to drive their product into the tree. Society doesn't. Their search is their product, and not "society's".

deciplex 12y ago
Their product does belong to "society" to the extent that it is bound by the laws of that society. And if we pass laws that require them to spy on their users for the government, we can hardly complain when they follow the law.
- guard-of-terra 12y ago
  They still have the choice of telling us "no". That's because our laws prohibit forced labor. They even said "no" before, in China, for example. But now it will be increasingly hard for them given what they sell for money.
  - deciplex 12y ago
    I don't think that's reasonable to expect. You're asking an entire company of thousands of people - people who also participate in society and vote in elections - to teach society a lesson or something by refusing to do work you disagree with (and, for the record, I disagree with too). Probably a lot of people at Google are okay with spying - many of them helped elect Diane Feinstein, after all. I have a good idea where this is all headed, and probably within my lifetime people like you and me are going to be able to deal out some pretty damn bitter "I told you so's". In the meantime I will try to keep that from happening by trying to educate people, for as long as doing so doesn't get me killed. But expecting a group of people, many of whom don't agree with me anyway, to practice some mild civil disobedience on my behalf, would accomplish very little other than to drive me mad.
    - guard-of-terra 12y ago
      The problem is not that they are pro- or against spying. The problem is they undermine how secure internet and HTTPS works and how people perceive it. They're heading us for the world where nobody will even be in control WRT how much info is collected and what it is about.