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New Google Privacy Policy

Google's recently announced privacy policy that becomes effective on March 1, 2012 is very disturbing! Google said that literally everything on an Android phone will be monitored and tracked including location. They said, if you don't like the new policy, cancel your gmail account. If you do that, you can't use your Android phone. Quite arrogant for Google! I like my new Android phone, but now I'm probably going to get rid of it...
 
Don't worry, I'm sure some brilliant programmers are working on this. If it pisses enough people off, Google will change their mind.

Mission Statement: Don't be Evil. :)

I seem to remember reading about this suite of apps that allows for the phone to spoof gps data, sending false records of location, this suite of apps had IM/SMS encryption, phone call encryption, and this thing where if you turn your phone upside down, BAM! completely off the grid. It was in Beta last I checked. Sorry, I don't have a link for it... but maybe someone knows what I'm talking about.
 
Here's a link to Google's blurb:
Google's New Terms Of Service & Privacy Policy: Anything You Do May Be Used To Target You?

I've got rid of Picasa and Blogger. I have Flickr (until Yahoo tries this stunt)
If Google automatically assigns a + account, I simply won't post.

As for some of the other - what do they do if you don't use the regular mail page but use Thunderbird? I can drag all the posts to my computer and tell Tbird to delete from server.

On the phone - I have every sync I can find turned off. Will that be overridden?

Some use Adblock, I prefer Tab permissions and NoScript. (I have Adblock)
Tab permissions turns off images on the fly. If I can't see it, I can't buy it. Even if it tracks.

The only thing that bothers me is Market. I have paid apps that need to update or they won't run.

I don't have to use Gmail. I can subscribe to a pay for account, or find another free one.

Google also said no Doubleclick. I have that forbidden in the firewall.

I worked in radio marketing, read the trades my boss got, and have been anti marketing since the Hidden Persuaders came out.
 
With respect I suspect the author of that article has blown this somewhat out of proportion. Here are links to the updated Google Privacy policy and terms of service:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/updating-our-privacy-policies-and-terms.html
Preview: Privacy Policy ? Policies & Principles
Google Terms of Service ? Policies & Principles

Their privacy policy seems to indicate that when a subscriber has multiple Google services that Google will combine the information received from each of these services to better support the subscribers needs. In other words if you use Android, GMail, Calendar, and Google+, your personal information entered into Google+ will be accessible to each of the other services. If your Android phone has GPS enabled and Google location services checked, Google will use your GPS location in conjunction with Calendar to let you know if you are going to be late for a scheduled meeting. If you don't have Google location services enabled on your phone then Google will not provide you notification that you're gonna be late for that meeting.

If you ask Google to not share your personal information with anyone outside of Google then they won't (except under the following circumstances:
* meet any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request.
* enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations.
* detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues.
* protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, our users or the public as required or permitted by law).

With respect to DoubleClick, the following was taken directly from their Privacy Policy document:

Google said:
We will not combine DoubleClick cookie information with personally identifiable information unless we have your opt-in consent.
Click to expand...
 
From Martimus:
Their privacy policy seems to indicate that when a subscriber has multiple Google services that Google will combine the information received from each of these services to better support the subscribers needs. In other words if you use Android, GMail, Calendar, and Google+, your personal information entered into Google+ will be accessible to each of the other services. If your Android phone has GPS enabled and Google location services checked, Google will use your GPS location in conjunction with Calendar to let you know if you are going to be late for a scheduled meeting. If you don't have Google location services enabled on your phone then Google will not provide you notification that you're gonna be late for that meeting.

What worries me is if you DON'T use anything but Gmail and Market. If they open a G+ account, I won't use it, won't check it (except for privacy policy) I don't use calendar, have GPS turned off, Titanium Backup has frozen maps, and I've been refusing the update to GMail. Doubleclick is in the blacklist in FF, needs permission in NoScript, blocked by the FW. Also deleted pix and info from Blogger and Picasa.

Is Google going to force you to use services?
 
Relevant question - Has the policy changed at all? My understanding was that they were simply consolidating all of their privacy policies into one policy. The actual terms, so I understood, hadn't changed much, if at all. I don't know this to be true as I don't have time at the moment to google up their old privacy policies and compare them.
 
Maybe the aims and the privacy policy haven't changed - but what if Google can't get all the information to give you a personalized meaningful experience?

For instance - I've cleaned out my Picasa - Google has no way of knowing what I take pictures of. I've cleaned out Blogger (never posted anything personal anyway) so they now have no way of judging mindset. If they force 1+. and I don't post, what are they going to do to enhance my experience?

Joining all this stuff was not a condition of buying an Android Phone. Using your right name was not a condition either.
 
When I was reading the policy, it mention something called a tag pixel or something like that... anyone care to explain that. They said it was similar to a cookie...
:/
 
9to5cynic said:
it mention something called a tag pixel or something like that...
:/
Click to expand...

Pixel tags are 1 pixel by 1 pixel transparent GIF images hidden in web pages, mobile ads, and emails that are used to track where you've been on the web and whether you're opening emails.

For example if a company sends you a marketing email it will have a 1x1 transparent GIF in it whose image URL is uniquely tagged to your email address. If you open the email (assuming your email client is set to automatically download images) your email client requests that unique image from their web server and then they know that your address is valid and you opened the email. Thats why they are small - low bandwidth.

Similarly with an ad server, the ad image will be generic, but you'll also be served a pixel tag which is unique. When your browser requests the pixel tag URL they know the ad was served successfully. If you then click on the ad and go to another site which also has pixel tags they know that you arrived at the site via the ad, and so on.
 
Snedd said:
Pixel tags are 1 pixel by 1 pixel transparent GIF images hidden in web pages, mobile ads, and emails that are used to track where you've been on the web and whether you're opening emails.

For example if a company sends you a marketing email it will have a 1x1 transparent GIF in it whose image URL is uniquely tagged to your email address. If you open the email (assuming your email client is set to automatically download images) your email client requests that unique image from their web server and then they know that your address is valid and you opened the email. Thats why they are small - low bandwidth.

Similarly with an ad server, the ad image will be generic, but you'll also be served a pixel tag which is unique. When your browser requests the pixel tag URL they know the ad was served successfully. If you then click on the ad and go to another site which also has pixel tags they know that you arrived at the site via the ad, and so on.
Click to expand...

This is why I use Thunderbird which doesn't load those requests unless I allow it to =)

Sadly, they have a similar implementation for telemarketing phone calls, and I've had to block quite a few phone numbers recently :(
 
Firefox also has addons that block those gifs. If you use mail app like Tbird, you can also specify text only.

FF and Opera also let you turn off images on the fly. Opera natively, FF by addon. If you don't see the ads, you aren't tempted. They may track, but if you don't see it, you won't buy it - which defeats their purpose.
 
Between adblock, TrevE's logging block tool (that seems to knock the feet out of Google's tracking on Android as well as CIQ's), and a very aggressive spam setting on Gmail, I think I'll be safe :)
 
zuben el genub said:
Maybe the aims and the privacy policy haven't changed - but what if Google can't get all the information to give you a personalized meaningful experience?

For instance - I've cleaned out my Picasa - Google has no way of knowing what I take pictures of. I've cleaned out Blogger (never posted anything personal anyway) so they now have no way of judging mindset. If they force 1+. and I don't post, what are they going to do to enhance my experience?

Joining all this stuff was not a condition of buying an Android Phone. Using your right name was not a condition either.
Click to expand...

Couple of things then.

1. Isn't a unified privacy policy what people all want in the first place?
2. The more I read, the more it seems like Google is just sharing with itself. They already have all the information about you. They are just sharing it with themselves now
3. I still haven't had a chance to look up their old privacy policies. Other than the fact that all Google services are sharing with each other, what else has changed that has everyone up in arms?

I'm honestly trying to see what the privacy violation is here. No one complained that the previous policies were violations. What is the change here?
 
What also occurred to me is Google Sync. Right now I can disallow it on the phone.
What if Google overrides this and starts to sync automatically? What will happen to your data charges then?
 
Well I am very happy with the services Google provides me. I don't do illegal things. And when it comes down to it I am not all that interesting. If Google wants to spy on what I do online and keep it to themselves I don't mind they are the ones that will be bored, of course I expect them to keep providing the services I have come to expect from them :D
 
Now I'm no legal expert but from what I've read in the new policies there is no provision that specially grants them any rights to force services upon a customer. If you don't want to use one of their services you don't have to... and if, for whatever reason, they change one of their services and, as a courtesy, enable the new service for you, you simply terminate that service.
 
I don't do illegal things either, but it's like having a snoopy neighbor. My business is NOT your business. My father was nosy, but he never told anyone what he found out.
My mother, OTOH, would. How do we know that some wrong post like a quote from WC Fields about kids wouldn't get you busted?

What about those who have a restraining order against a stalker or abusive spouse?

Using real names won't protect them. They have a right to work with support groups online if necessary.
 
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