Anyway... I just want to point out that I was saying that the cable companies can do the exact same thing as Tivo which is to track you individually. They have that ability. I'm not arguing whether they do or not, I'm arguing that they can.
As proven by the statement below and by one member on the forum:
For example:
"Privacy concerns TiVo collects detailed usage data from units via broadband Internet. As units are downloading schedule data, they transmit household viewing habits to TiVo Inc. Collected information includes a log of everything watched (time and channel) and remote keypresses such as fast forwarding through or replaying content.[23] Many users were surprised when TiVo released data on how many users rewatched the exposure of Janet Jackson's breast during the 2004 Super Bowl.[24] TiVo records usage data for their own research and they also sell it to other corporations such as advertisers.[25]Nielsen and TiVo have also previously collaborated to track viewing habits. Now TiVo has their own service. TiVo has three levels of data collection. By default one is in "opt-out" status, where all usage data is aggregated by ZIP code and individual viewing habits are not tracked. Certain optional features and promotions require one to opt-in, where they will collect individual information for targeted show suggestions or advertising.Users can request that TiVo block the collection of anonymous viewing information and diagnostic information from their TiVo DVR."
The bold statement tells you that Tivo has the ability to track individual usage data. There are 3 modes of use now for Tivo and one of those, I believe, actually still tracks individual usage for Nielsen. By "default" you are now in opt-out mode but this was not always the case.
Only if you opt in. By default, they do not track users' information.
The entire discussion was about Gatorguy saying that the cable companies were tracking users' personal habits and knew what every one was watching every minute. He was wrong - and your own link proves that. Only those who choose to give their information to the cable company can have personal information used - just like Nielsen.
Probably not - since there's nothing there that allows them to tie the viewing to you as an individual. Furthermore, none of that shows what you are watching every minute as you claimed.
So when are you going to get around to posting evidence that the cable company knows what you are watching every minute as you claimed (repeatedly)?
Oh, geesh... You already believe they're keeping track of what you, along with others, are watching minute by minute. I have no idea what part of what I claimed your're actually disaqreeing with. You were obviously wrong when you said the cable companies had no way to know what you're watching. I was obviously right when I said your TV viewing via cable and sat was being tracked. Every source I gave confirmed that. Whether it's shared with outside parties either anonymously or not doesn't change the fact that your viewing habits are being followed.
That you continue to make believe you think your viewership can't and isn't followed is why I believe you are being dishonest. I don't for one second think someone as suspicious as you truly believes that the outside aggregating companies have the ability to match shows viewed by household with other data like purchase histories and prescription info unless there was tracking of viewers.
From Rentrak:
Household and ZIP code-level integrations of Rentrak's huge viewing database with actual purchase and other behavioral insights, including Polk automotive, political proclivity, box office results and (coming soon) CPG, financial services and retail sales information.
No other person here would read that in any way other than your viewing habits are tracked. Not even you. That it may end up being anonymized before use in marketing doesn't change the fact that what you watch is known and followed by the cable/sat companies.
Oh, geesh... You already believe they're keeping track of what you, along with others, are watching minute by minute. I have no idea what part of what I claimed your're actually disaqreeing with. You were obviously wrong when you said the cable companies had no way to know what you're watching. I was obviously right when I said your TV viewing via cable and sat was being tracked. Every source I gave confirmed that. Whether it's shared with outside parties either anonymously or not doesn't change the fact that your viewing habits are being followed.
That you continue to make believe you think your viewership can't and isn't followed is why believe you are being dishonest. I don't for one second think someone as suspicious as you truly believes that the outside aggregating companies have the ability to match shows viewed by household with other data like purchase histories and prescription info unless there was tracking of viewers.
<span style="color:rgb(110,110,112);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:15px;">Household and ZIP code-level integrations of Rentrak's huge viewing database with actual purchase and other behavioral insights, including Polk automotive, political proclivity, box office results and (coming soon) CPG, financial services and retail sales information.</span>
No other person here would read that in any way other than your viewing habits are tracked. Not even you.
I hope Google is paying you well to make it worthwhile for you to look so dense.
Once again:
1. You claimed that cable companies know what I'm watching every minute.
2. Even your own evidence showed that they do not do so and only track anonymized information.
3. Island Hermit's link provided a little more detail, but confirmed that no one tracks your private information without your permission.
4. Rentrak's database (and others) provides only generic, anonymized information.
So, yes, if you give permission to the cable companies, they can track your private information, but that's no different than giving Nielsen permission.
In the end, you have not supported your claim that cable companies are tracking everyone's viewing habits - and all the links provided directly contradict you.
How it works:TRA’s algorithms instantly process a wealth of rich dataat the single-source household level,then measures and analyzes the data for customers to generate customized reports to optimize ROI.
Why it’s different:We gather tuning data from America’s largest second-by-second TV tuning database
— 2 million households — and match it with purchase and demographic data from the largest single-source household database.
So it's very simple...
You were wrong when you claimed the cable company had no way to know what you're watching. They do. When it's shared they're required to strip out your name, but there's no indication I find that your address is removed. In fact it would almost seem to be a requirement if someone is matching household data like prescription info, grocery store reward card purchase histories and a whole lot of details about your family unit, combined with the shows your household watches.
BTW, here's an older article from last year. It plainly makes the same claim that viewership is tracked by household, and the cable companies are working to deliver targeted ads based on that household's TV viewing matched to other data such as purchasing history (grocery store reward cards, health insurer's records of prescription purchases within a household, etc.) That wouldn't be possible unless they know what you watch, and someone somewhere was able to identify a household to match it to.
Oh, geesh... You already believe they're keeping track of what you, along with others, are watching minute by minute. I have no idea what part of what I claimed your're actually disaqreeing with. You were obviously wrong when you said the cable companies had no way to know what you're watching. I was obviously right when I said your TV viewing via cable and sat was being tracked. Every source I gave confirmed that. Whether it's shared with outside parties either anonymously or not doesn't change the fact that your viewing habits are being followed.
That you continue to make believe you think your viewership can't and isn't followed is why I believe you are being dishonest. I don't for one second think someone as suspicious as you truly believes that the outside aggregating companies have the ability to match shows viewed by household with other data like purchase histories and prescription info unless there was tracking of viewers.
From Rentrak:
Household and ZIP code-level integrations of Rentrak's huge viewing database with actual purchase and other behavioral insights, including Polk automotive, political proclivity, box office results and (coming soon) CPG, financial services and retail sales information.
No other person here would read that in any way other than your viewing habits are tracked. Not even you. That it may end up being anonymized before use in marketing doesn't change the fact that what you watch is known and followed by the cable/sat companies.
Gator, actually cable companies cannot track what you or anybody is watching when it's simply on air. If you are referring to On Demand and DVR'd content then yes but no they cannot tell whether you are watching the latest episode of Mad Men through your cable box. Our traffic centers which make sure the correct content and commercials are shown in each DMA is only run by three-four people, sheesh. Also, if you've ever had your cable unexpectedly quit and called customer service, they as you turn stuff on and off and then ask if it has started working again. Why would they need to do that if they can track your actions via the box?
As for Rentrack, that is a 3rd party company JUST LIKE NIELSEN and not a cable or satellite provider.
Gator, actually cable companies cannot track what you or anybody is watching when it's simply on air. If you are referring to On Demand and DVR'd content then yes but no they cannot tell whether you are watching the latest episode of Mad Men through your cable box. Our traffic centers which make sure the correct content and commercials are shown in each DMA is only run by three-four people, sheesh. Also, if you've ever had your cable unexpectedly quit and called customer service, they as you turn stuff on and off and then ask if it has started working again. Why would they need to do that if they can track your actions via the box?
As for Rentrack, that is a 3rd party company JUST LIKE NIELSEN and not a cable or satellite provider.
Hmmm... my cable provider turns the box on and off as I'm talking to them... and tells me what's happening as it happens.
<p class="special-p" style="margin-bottom:20px;margin-left:30px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(102,102,102);float:left;width:880px;font-family:Arial;">How it works: [SIZE=16px]TRA’s algorithms instantly process a wealth of rich data[/SIZE] at the single-source household level, [SIZE=14px][SIZE=16px]then measures and analyzes the data for customers to generate customized reports to optimize ROI.[/SIZE][/SIZE]</p>
<p class="special-p" style="margin-bottom:20px;margin-left:30px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(102,102,102);float:left;width:880px;font-family:Arial;">Why it’s different: [SIZE=16px]We gather tuning data from America’s largest [SIZE=18px]second-by-second[/SIZE] TV tuning database
— 2 million households — [SIZE=18px]and match it with purchase[/SIZE] and demographic data from the largest single-source household database.[/SIZE]</p>
So it's very simple...
You were wrong when you claimed the cable company had no way to know what you're watching. They do. When it's shared they're required to strip out your name, but there's no indication I find that your address is removed. In fact it would almost seem to be a requirement if someone is matching household data like prescription info, grocery store reward card purchase histories and a whole lot of details about your family unit, combined with the shows your household watches.
You keep changing the argument. You stated that the cable company knows what I'm watching all the time. They don't - as proven by the mountains of evidence already provided.
The above simply shows that they collect ANONYMIZED data - which has already been established.
BTW, here's an older article from last year. It plainly makes the same claim that viewership is tracked by household, and the cable companies are working to deliver targeted ads based on that household's TV viewing matched to other data such as purchasing history (grocery store reward cards, health insurer's records of prescription purchases within a household, etc.) That wouldn't be possible unless they know what you watch, and someone somewhere was able to identify a household to match it to. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704288304576171251689944350.html
Do you even read? You keep providing links that prove that you're wrong.
That site includes the following:
"This technology figures out which subscribers should see which ad by anonymously matching the names and addresses of Cablevision's subscribers with data provided by advertisers and others, via a third party."
It specifically does NOT say that the cable company is tracking what you're watching. What they're doing is getting information from advertisers and others and anonymously choosing which ads to send to you and others who fit the target profile. There's nothing in there that suggests that they're tracking what you're watching on TV.
Keep going - every time you provide another link, it further proves that you're wrong.
You keep changing the argument. You stated that the cable company knows what I'm watching all the time. They don't - as proven by the mountains of evidence already provided.
The above simply shows that they collect ANONYMIZED data - which has already been established.
Do you even read? You keep providing links that prove that you're wrong.
That site includes the following:
"This technology figures out which subscribers should see which ad by anonymously matching the names and addresses of Cablevision's subscribers with data provided by advertisers and others, via a third party."
It specifically does NOT say that the cable company is tracking what you're watching. What they're doing is getting information from advertisers and others and anonymously choosing which ads to send to you and others who fit the target profile. There's nothing in there that suggests that they're tracking what you're watching on TV.
Keep going - every time you provide another link, it further proves that you're wrong.
And YOU are part of that viewership data collected and anonymized. The TV shows YOU watch are tracked and noted, and then perhaps shared by matching the names and addresses of Cablevision subscribers with that same household's purchase or prescription info. By the time it's received by the marketing arm it's been anonymized by a 3rd party so it's no longer tied to an identifiable name. Prior to that the 3rd party doing the "anonymizing" had access to and used Cablevisions' real identifiable subscriber names and addresses combined with Cablevisions household viewing records to do the matching with other useful data for the now-anonymized 3rd party marketing or aggregated data packages!!
Google's mission statement is: "Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful." While Google's mission statement alone isn't troublesome, Google's collection of personal information is quite troublesome because Google's business model is the aggregation of user's personal information in order to target advertising to users. Thus, Google has far more personal information about users than governments or other businesses have about consumers.
Google gathers details of how you used their services, such as your search queries (1)
Google tracks cookies that may uniquely identify your browser or your Google Account (1)
Google collects telephony log information like your phone number, calling-party number, forwarding numbers, time and date of calls, duration of calls, SMS routing information and types of calls (1)
Google logs device event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and referral URL (1)
Google collects device-specific information (such as your hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information including phone number) Google may associate your device identifiers or phone number with your Google Account (1)
While such information is gathered by competing products and services, Google's vast range of "products and services" uniquely positions Google to collect more information about consumers than any other company. The problem with Google's vast network of information gathering is that Google has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of concern for consumers through their policies and practices. Furthermore, Google has consistently used very expedient methods to comply with or meet demands whether those of stockholders or governments. The vast amount of information collected by Google has arguably made Google the greatest threat to privacy ever known, a vast unsecured treasure trove of information that attracts hackers and online thieves, and; most worrisome; governments.
Google has done very little to protect Android users from malware. Considering that many people have significant amounts of personal information on their mobile devices, I find this completely unacceptable.
According to Sunnyvale, Calif., security firm Juniper Networks known instances of Android-related malware -- "virtually all" involving apps - have jumped steadily month by month from 400 in June 2011 to 15,507 in February 2012 (2)
"San Francisco-based Lookout Mobile Security reported In August 2011, that "an estimated half-million to one million people were affected by Android malware in the first half of 2011." (2)
Trend Micro of Japan, which has U.S. headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. - identified "more than 1,000 malicious Android apps" last year, 90 percent of them on Google's site and noted that the number of bad apps grew last year at 60 percent per month. Trend Micro has estimated the total this year "will grow to more than 120,000," (2)
Google proclaims that "Since the beginning, we’ve focused on providing the best user experience possible. Whether we’re designing a new Internet browser or a new tweak to the look of the homepage, we take great care to ensure that they will ultimately serve you, rather than our own internal goal or bottom line." (3)This is in direct conflict with Google's business model which serves advertisers and is a serious, undisclosed conflict of interest.
Google removed links to an anti-Scientology site after the Church of Scientology claimed copyright infringement in 2002. (4)
Google handed over the records of some users of its social-networking service, Orkut, to the Brazilian government, which was investigating alleged racist, homophobic, and pornographic content in September 2006. (4)
Google's mission statement "to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful" didn’t stop Google from censoring their Chinese search engine to gain access to a lucrative market. (4)
Privacy International has named Google the worst company in their 2007 survey and "hostile to privacy." (5)
And YOU are part of that viewership data collected and anonymized. The TV shows YOU watch are tracked and noted, and then perhaps shared by matching the names and addresses of Cablevision subscribers with that same household's purchase or prescription info. By the time it's received by the marketing arm it's been anonymized by a 3rd party so it's no longer tied to an identifiable name. Prior to that the 3rd party doing the "anonymizing" had access to and used Cablevisions' real identifiable subscriber names and addresses combined with Cablevisions household viewing records to do the matching with other useful data for the now-anonymized 3rd party marketing or aggregated data packages!!
Reading comprehension Jr.... please.
The funny thing is that you're the one who keeps claiming that the cable companies know what I'm watching every minute - when even your own links disprove that.
Clearly, they know how many people in my area are watching a given show. They can even break it down further than that. But they do NOT know what I'm watching as you claimed.
Obvious that you put some work and time into the post. Other than a quibble with your first paragraph and only mentioning part of the China story it's pretty well written. It doesn't necessarily follow that because Google's aim is to deliver targeted advertising that they must necessarily know more about your than any government. They may in fact, but not simply because that was their business plan.
Clearly, they know how many people in my area are watching a given show. They can even break it down further than that. But they do NOT know what I'm watching as you claimed.
I don't think any regular here really thinks you believe that.
It seems like even though the cable/satellite company does not know who 'you' ARE, they still know what 'you' are watching. I can see where jragosta and Gatorguy are both correct, depending on whether you consider anonymous tracking to still be 'you'.
I myself would tend to agree with Gatorguy, as it would be very simple to put a name to the individual 'anonymous' tracking. What if there was a court order to match up that 'anonymous' tracking to an individual? I can't imagine that there would be any difficulty doing so, and to that end, would definitely consider myself 'tracked', anonymous or not.
It seems like even though the cable/satellite company does not know who 'you' ARE, they still know what 'you' are watching. I can see where jragosta and Gatorguy are both correct, depending on whether you consider anonymous tracking to still be 'you'.
I myself would tend to agree with Gatorguy, as it would be very simple to put a name to the individual 'anonymous' tracking. What if there was a court order to match up that 'anonymous' tracking to an individual? I can't imagine that there would be any difficulty doing so, and to that end, would definitely consider myself 'tracked', anonymous or not.
The fact is that Gatorguy (and you, if you're agreeing with him) was completely wrong.
He said that the cable company knows what I'm watching every minute. Every single piece of evidence provided by everyone in this thread says that's not the case. They do not track individual information so they do not know what I am watching at any time.
Comments
Only if you opt in. By default, they do not track users' information.
The entire discussion was about Gatorguy saying that the cable companies were tracking users' personal habits and knew what every one was watching every minute. He was wrong - and your own link proves that. Only those who choose to give their information to the cable company can have personal information used - just like Nielsen.
Nice job. You lose an argument so you bury your head in the sand. Way to go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
Probably not - since there's nothing there that allows them to tie the viewing to you as an individual. Furthermore, none of that shows what you are watching every minute as you claimed.
So when are you going to get around to posting evidence that the cable company knows what you are watching every minute as you claimed (repeatedly)?
Oh, geesh... You already believe they're keeping track of what you, along with others, are watching minute by minute. I have no idea what part of what I claimed your're actually disaqreeing with. You were obviously wrong when you said the cable companies had no way to know what you're watching. I was obviously right when I said your TV viewing via cable and sat was being tracked. Every source I gave confirmed that. Whether it's shared with outside parties either anonymously or not doesn't change the fact that your viewing habits are being followed.
That you continue to make believe you think your viewership can't and isn't followed is why I believe you are being dishonest. I don't for one second think someone as suspicious as you truly believes that the outside aggregating companies have the ability to match shows viewed by household with other data like purchase histories and prescription info unless there was tracking of viewers.
From Rentrak:
Household and ZIP code-level integrations of Rentrak's huge viewing database with actual purchase and other behavioral insights, including Polk automotive, political proclivity, box office results and (coming soon) CPG, financial services and retail sales information.
http://www.rentrak.com/section/media/tv/stationview.html
No other person here would read that in any way other than your viewing habits are tracked. Not even you. That it may end up being anonymized before use in marketing doesn't change the fact that what you watch is known and followed by the cable/sat companies.
I hope Google is paying you well to make it worthwhile for you to look so dense.
Once again:
1. You claimed that cable companies know what I'm watching every minute.
2. Even your own evidence showed that they do not do so and only track anonymized information.
3. Island Hermit's link provided a little more detail, but confirmed that no one tracks your private information without your permission.
4. Rentrak's database (and others) provides only generic, anonymized information.
So, yes, if you give permission to the cable companies, they can track your private information, but that's no different than giving Nielsen permission.
In the end, you have not supported your claim that cable companies are tracking everyone's viewing habits - and all the links provided directly contradict you.
How it works: TRA’s algorithms instantly process a wealth of rich data at the single-source household level, then measures and analyzes the data for customers to generate customized reports to optimize ROI.
Why it’s different: We gather tuning data from America’s largest second-by-second TV tuning database
— 2 million households — and match it with purchase and demographic data from the largest single-source household database.
So it's very simple...
You were wrong when you claimed the cable company had no way to know what you're watching. They do. When it's shared they're required to strip out your name, but there's no indication I find that your address is removed. In fact it would almost seem to be a requirement if someone is matching household data like prescription info, grocery store reward card purchase histories and a whole lot of details about your family unit, combined with the shows your household watches.
BTW, here's an older article from last year. It plainly makes the same claim that viewership is tracked by household, and the cable companies are working to deliver targeted ads based on that household's TV viewing matched to other data such as purchasing history (grocery store reward cards, health insurer's records of prescription purchases within a household, etc.) That wouldn't be possible unless they know what you watch, and someone somewhere was able to identify a household to match it to.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704288304576171251689944350.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
Oh, geesh... You already believe they're keeping track of what you, along with others, are watching minute by minute. I have no idea what part of what I claimed your're actually disaqreeing with. You were obviously wrong when you said the cable companies had no way to know what you're watching. I was obviously right when I said your TV viewing via cable and sat was being tracked. Every source I gave confirmed that. Whether it's shared with outside parties either anonymously or not doesn't change the fact that your viewing habits are being followed.
That you continue to make believe you think your viewership can't and isn't followed is why I believe you are being dishonest. I don't for one second think someone as suspicious as you truly believes that the outside aggregating companies have the ability to match shows viewed by household with other data like purchase histories and prescription info unless there was tracking of viewers.
From Rentrak:
Household and ZIP code-level integrations of Rentrak's huge viewing database with actual purchase and other behavioral insights, including Polk automotive, political proclivity, box office results and (coming soon) CPG, financial services and retail sales information.
http://www.rentrak.com/section/media/tv/stationview.html
No other person here would read that in any way other than your viewing habits are tracked. Not even you. That it may end up being anonymized before use in marketing doesn't change the fact that what you watch is known and followed by the cable/sat companies.
Gator, actually cable companies cannot track what you or anybody is watching when it's simply on air. If you are referring to On Demand and DVR'd content then yes but no they cannot tell whether you are watching the latest episode of Mad Men through your cable box. Our traffic centers which make sure the correct content and commercials are shown in each DMA is only run by three-four people, sheesh. Also, if you've ever had your cable unexpectedly quit and called customer service, they as you turn stuff on and off and then ask if it has started working again. Why would they need to do that if they can track your actions via the box?
As for Rentrack, that is a 3rd party company JUST LIKE NIELSEN and not a cable or satellite provider.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freckledbruh
Gator, actually cable companies cannot track what you or anybody is watching when it's simply on air. If you are referring to On Demand and DVR'd content then yes but no they cannot tell whether you are watching the latest episode of Mad Men through your cable box. Our traffic centers which make sure the correct content and commercials are shown in each DMA is only run by three-four people, sheesh. Also, if you've ever had your cable unexpectedly quit and called customer service, they as you turn stuff on and off and then ask if it has started working again. Why would they need to do that if they can track your actions via the box?
As for Rentrack, that is a 3rd party company JUST LIKE NIELSEN and not a cable or satellite provider.
Hmmm... my cable provider turns the box on and off as I'm talking to them... and tells me what's happening as it happens.
You keep changing the argument. You stated that the cable company knows what I'm watching all the time. They don't - as proven by the mountains of evidence already provided.
The above simply shows that they collect ANONYMIZED data - which has already been established.
Do you even read? You keep providing links that prove that you're wrong.
That site includes the following:
"This technology figures out which subscribers should see which ad by anonymously matching the names and addresses of Cablevision's subscribers with data provided by advertisers and others, via a third party."
It specifically does NOT say that the cable company is tracking what you're watching. What they're doing is getting information from advertisers and others and anonymously choosing which ads to send to you and others who fit the target profile. There's nothing in there that suggests that they're tracking what you're watching on TV.
Keep going - every time you provide another link, it further proves that you're wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
You keep changing the argument. You stated that the cable company knows what I'm watching all the time. They don't - as proven by the mountains of evidence already provided.
The above simply shows that they collect ANONYMIZED data - which has already been established.
Do you even read? You keep providing links that prove that you're wrong.
That site includes the following:
"This technology figures out which subscribers should see which ad by anonymously matching the names and addresses of Cablevision's subscribers with data provided by advertisers and others, via a third party."
It specifically does NOT say that the cable company is tracking what you're watching. What they're doing is getting information from advertisers and others and anonymously choosing which ads to send to you and others who fit the target profile. There's nothing in there that suggests that they're tracking what you're watching on TV.
Keep going - every time you provide another link, it further proves that you're wrong.
And YOU are part of that viewership data collected and anonymized. The TV shows YOU watch are tracked and noted, and then perhaps shared by matching the names and addresses of Cablevision subscribers with that same household's purchase or prescription info. By the time it's received by the marketing arm it's been anonymized by a 3rd party so it's no longer tied to an identifiable name. Prior to that the 3rd party doing the "anonymizing" had access to and used Cablevisions' real identifiable subscriber names and addresses combined with Cablevisions household viewing records to do the matching with other useful data for the now-anonymized 3rd party marketing or aggregated data packages!!
Reading comprehension Jr.... please.
Google's mission statement is: "Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful." While Google's mission statement alone isn't troublesome, Google's collection of personal information is quite troublesome because Google's business model is the aggregation of user's personal information in order to target advertising to users. Thus, Google has far more personal information about users than governments or other businesses have about consumers.
Google gathers details of how you used their services, such as your search queries (1)
Google tracks cookies that may uniquely identify your browser or your Google Account (1)
Google collects telephony log information like your phone number, calling-party number, forwarding numbers, time and date of calls, duration of calls, SMS routing information and types of calls (1)
Google logs device event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and referral URL (1)
Google collects device-specific information (such as your hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information including phone number) Google may associate your device identifiers or phone number with your Google Account (1)
While such information is gathered by competing products and services, Google's vast range of "products and services" uniquely positions Google to collect more information about consumers than any other company. The problem with Google's vast network of information gathering is that Google has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of concern for consumers through their policies and practices. Furthermore, Google has consistently used very expedient methods to comply with or meet demands whether those of stockholders or governments. The vast amount of information collected by Google has arguably made Google the greatest threat to privacy ever known, a vast unsecured treasure trove of information that attracts hackers and online thieves, and; most worrisome; governments.
Google has done very little to protect Android users from malware. Considering that many people have significant amounts of personal information on their mobile devices, I find this completely unacceptable.
According to Sunnyvale, Calif., security firm Juniper Networks known instances of Android-related malware -- "virtually all" involving apps - have jumped steadily month by month from 400 in June 2011 to 15,507 in February 2012 (2)
"San Francisco-based Lookout Mobile Security reported In August 2011, that "an estimated half-million to one million people were affected by Android malware in the first half of 2011." (2)
Trend Micro of Japan, which has U.S. headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. - identified "more than 1,000 malicious Android apps" last year, 90 percent of them on Google's site and noted that the number of bad apps grew last year at 60 percent per month. Trend Micro has estimated the total this year "will grow to more than 120,000," (2)
Google proclaims that "Since the beginning, we’ve focused on providing the best user experience possible. Whether we’re designing a new Internet browser or a new tweak to the look of the homepage, we take great care to ensure that they will ultimately serve you, rather than our own internal goal or bottom line." (3) This is in direct conflict with Google's business model which serves advertisers and is a serious, undisclosed conflict of interest.
Google removed links to an anti-Scientology site after the Church of Scientology claimed copyright infringement in 2002. (4)
Google handed over the records of some users of its social-networking service, Orkut, to the Brazilian government, which was investigating alleged racist, homophobic, and pornographic content in September 2006. (4)
Google's mission statement "to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful" didn’t stop Google from censoring their Chinese search engine to gain access to a lucrative market. (4)
Privacy International has named Google the worst company in their 2007 survey and "hostile to privacy." (5)
1. http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/. Google. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
2. Steve Johnson. Posted March 17, 2012. Updated March 23, 2012. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_20182226/android-apps-targeted-by-malware?source=rss_viewed. San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
3. http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/. Google. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
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The funny thing is that you're the one who keeps claiming that the cable companies know what I'm watching every minute - when even your own links disprove that.
Clearly, they know how many people in my area are watching a given show. They can even break it down further than that. But they do NOT know what I'm watching as you claimed.
Thank you for a nice break MacBookPro.
Obvious that you put some work and time into the post. Other than a quibble with your first paragraph and only mentioning part of the China story it's pretty well written. It doesn't necessarily follow that because Google's aim is to deliver targeted advertising that they must necessarily know more about your than any government. They may in fact, but not simply because that was their business plan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
Clearly, they know how many people in my area are watching a given show. They can even break it down further than that. But they do NOT know what I'm watching as you claimed.
I don't think any regular here really thinks you believe that.
And, yet, you haven't been able to come up with a shred of evidence to prove otherwise.
In fact, every single link you provide only further proves that you're wrong.
No, I'm pretty sure I'm correct that you really don't believe the cable companies aren't tracking what programs you (and your family??) are watching.
Just as I'm pretty sure you can't possibly believe what you post here but Google pays you to do so.
It seems like even though the cable/satellite company does not know who 'you' ARE, they still know what 'you' are watching. I can see where jragosta and Gatorguy are both correct, depending on whether you consider anonymous tracking to still be 'you'.
I myself would tend to agree with Gatorguy, as it would be very simple to put a name to the individual 'anonymous' tracking. What if there was a court order to match up that 'anonymous' tracking to an individual? I can't imagine that there would be any difficulty doing so, and to that end, would definitely consider myself 'tracked', anonymous or not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
Just as I'm pretty sure you can't possibly believe what you post here but Google pays you to do so.
And that's another indication that some of your posts are dishonest IMO since you don't believe that one either.
The fact is that Gatorguy (and you, if you're agreeing with him) was completely wrong.
He said that the cable company knows what I'm watching every minute. Every single piece of evidence provided by everyone in this thread says that's not the case. They do not track individual information so they do not know what I am watching at any time.