How Private Is Your Data With Google, Really?

[peter_d]

Matt Cutts weighs in:

As an employee who has worked at Google since 2000, I’ve seen how carefully we treat issues of privacy. If you haven’t read my declaration from the DOJ case last year, I’d recommend checking it out. Pages 11 & 12 are good reading, for example. So my personal belief would be that if privacy is important to you, Google should not be your biggest concern for two reasons. First, I believe Google does more to protect our users’ privacy than any other major search engine. Second, I believe other companies such as ISPs have a superset of the data that Google has, plus they have verified payment/identity, plus they know which IP addresses you are on, even if you switch IP addresses.

From what I know about Google and its respect for privacy, I will be happily using Google’s features. Ultimately, however, if you feel concerned about a particular Google feature, then I wouldn’t use that feature. That’s your choice and I absolutely, completely 100% support that. Again, this is just my personal opinion, but that’s my quick take on privacy and Google.

The comments also make for interesting reading....

[yorije]

that means google is very strict in keeping secrecy.

[look4edmund]

This is interesting. I hope Google doesn't sell out blogger's identity in China or bow down to Despotic Regimes like you know where.


Regards,
Edmund Ng

[NothingButNet]

I don't know about that. The recent acquisition of DoubleClick makes me wonder. Is our data really as private as Google insinuates? Of course Matt is defending Google. After all he is an employee. But...