Monday, May 14, 2012

Help! The Internet knows me!



Title: Me and my data: how much do the internet giants really know
Subject: The amount of information Internet giant have on you.
Date: April 22
Author: James Ball




Summary:

James Ball wanted to figure out how much the Internet giants knew about him (especially Facebook and Google). In the EU there is a law, which states that citizens can request all their data, but in the US there is no such law. Google saves all the data on whom you are e-mailing, what kind of documents you open and the chat conversations you have. It also saves the viewing history on Youtube and your search entries in Google itself (including Google Maps). Facebook saves everything; obviously anything ever posted, but also all the events you have been to (and when and where they were).


Reaction:

This comes as no surprise for me. As long as the Internet has existed websites have saved information about you. They did this sometimes for your convenience and sometimes for their own. Nothing has changed since then, but the amount of time we spent online. However, it is still your own decision. You do not have to use Google or Facebook, you can still be anonymous in some dark corners of the internet. If you decide to use the Internet Giants a lack of privacy is what you get. There are still enough people who do not use the Internet at all and are still very happy. So either change something about you or about the websites you visit or simply stop whining.    

2 comments:

  1. I agree with your opinion, it is your own choice where and how you spend your time online. If you do not want your information stored like this, you will have to stop using those kind of website. It will be inconvenient, sure, but that will be your choice.

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  2. I like the internet remembering my passwords to everything I go to. But I do grow weary over all the penile enlargement pill adverts that keep popping up whenever I go to Disney website, Although that might just be one of those practical jokes that Walt's frozen head likes to play on me, the bastard.

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