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Re: Europa-List: Re: Fwd: Wind Map

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Re: Fwd: Wind Map
From: Frans Veldman <frans@privatepilots.nl>
Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2012 19:40:43

On 04/08/2012 12:42 PM, GRAHAM SINGLETON wrote:
> Troy
> I do use google chrome but I'm interested to know your reasons for not
> trusting google? 

There are plenty reasons why not to trust google. Most of them have to
do with privacy.

Google records your search words, may have your email (if you use
gmail), may have your agenda (if you use their calendar), has made
pictures of the front side your house (and has recorded your wifi data
while they where at it just because it was easy to do so), is currently
making similar pictures from the rear of your house by airplane, etc.
Yes, go ahead and use their browser too so they have even more insight
in your interests and what you are doing. (Why do you think they made
that browser. Charity because they thought you couldn't live with the
existing browsers?) George Orwell couldn't have imagined what is going
on right now.

Not everyone is aware that google's search engine is adapting search
results to your personal profile they have established from your data.
Just do this experiment: call a friend, and both google on the same
search words and see what is being presented to you. Also compare the
internet advertisement you see on random internet pages, and see how
this gets adapted after entering search words on the google search engine.

You have nothing to hide you may think? Think again. Even if google is
not misusing the data they collect from you, this data might fall into
wrong hands. Anyone who can steal this data can see that Mr. Singleton
is interested in airplanes (and thus might have some money), can see on
the calendar when he is having an appointment and thus not at home, and
can see on google's street view pictures what the options are to break
into his house. All services integrated in one profile! Even worse
scenario's are thinkable, including fabricating evidence of some crime
to some innocent person whose profile and agenda make him an acceptable
suspect.

As a former data security expert, I'm quite concerned about google and
their appetite for collecting data and building personal profiles.
I have abandoned all google services, and even instructed our family's
firewall to deny all access to google. (Surprising to see how many
applications have stealth access to google).

You have been warned!

Frans



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