A few weeks back Google announced they would start using cookies to serve up targeted adds based on your browsing. This prompted The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) to file a 15 page complaint with the FTC.
Last year some US based ISP’s tried the same thing and were met with legal opposition. Using cookies to serve targeted adds from ISP’s is common in other countries.
Why is this bad?
First lets point out the obvious, Google has shaped the internet and provided amazing tools for the internet. No other company even comes close to the advancements Google has contributed.
Stop and think about the staggering amount of information that Google collects from you everyday.
- They dominate the search engine market.
- Their advertising network is easily the largest on the web (AdWords).
- Gmail is probably the most widely used web based email
- They have an incredible analytics tool that collects information on all of your visitors
- Ever heard of Google maps? You know the one with the picture of your house from the street?
- Storage of documents for companies and individuals on Google Docs.
- I wrote about Google health last year
- Payment gateways through Google Cart
- Cached information from anything you put on your website and took down
- Your pictures
- The list goes on
We can add your browsing history to this list. In the last few weeks alone there has been incidents where private information went to the wrong person.
Google had to send out a notice earlier this month to users of Google Docs informing them that some of their documents might of been shared with other accounts that did not have access.
Two days ago purchasing records including names, phone numbers and credit cards were published via Google Cache from a faulty third party payment gateway. That means the information for about 22,000 people was available for all to read. Oops!
Google is not alone
Facebook rescinded its new Terms Of Service after user outrage over the issue of keeping all your information even if the account is canceled.
If you work for a large company they probably store emails for security and legal concerns.
You have no idea what what will happen with any documents you upload to a server or any post you make on a random site.
How can you make your fingerprint smaller?
In terms of Google you can not accept cookies and turn off javascript. Even for the most savvy tech individuals this can be a hassle. Many sites you visit will require cookies and javascript to function properly.
I would recommend using using Firefox for your browser. Install Add Block and the Google Opt-out Plugin. As a developer its just absurd to think that I’ll stop using all of Google’s tools available to me. However I will limit the use of them. I will no longer install Google Analytics by default on all new sites I build but only as a request from the client. I’ll also look for other solutions to replace Google. Some of the applications they provide are just essential to my job.
Think about what you’re putting up on “The Cloud”. Look for other alternatives that keep your documents in your control.
Consider the information you’re submitting on that form. A credit card or SSN should be a flag to be wary. The average user would be horrified to see how some websites handle sensitive information.
