Yeah, my wife and I were early adopters of Fitbit's products, but it very quickly became obvious that a huge part of their business model involved holding your data hostage, not to mention whatever other monetization schemes they had planned for "renting" your data out to third parties. And then they were bought by Google, the king of personal data collection and monetization. Not that I was seriously considering going back to Fitbit's products anyway, but now it's definitely a hard pass for me!
Fitbit hasn't been purchased by Google... Yet.
The EU expressed concerns about Google becoming even stronger in ad placement with access to health-related data too. Because of that Google publically announced they'd not use any Fitbit collected data for advertising purchases post-purchase. No real change since Google doesn't allow ads based on users health conditions/data now.
The EU Commission then said "do you promise" which Google answered "Yes we do". The EU wasn't done yet tho, then asking Google to sign a legally binding agreement to that effect as a condition of EU approval. Again Google said no problem, give us the agreement to sign, we have no intention of using health data for targeted ads. I guess that called the EU's bluff because now Ms. Vestager is saying beyond that she has other concerns with a big US tech even having access to EU citizen data.
I suspect she'll find a way to decline it if she believes it will be upheld when Google appeals the denial to purchase. IMO if that were to happen Fitbit assets will be sold off to someone who won't be as restricted by competition authorities as Google would be. Fitbit won't survive on its own and will be forced to find another buyer.
The trouble is that Google has a history of swearing on their mother’s grave that they won’t mine X data for advertizing, and then getting caught doing it. Google Docs, Nest to name just two.
To which I replied, asking: "Are those two things being used for targeted advertising monetization? First I've seen of that. Are you sure it's not just something someone said someplace without any source? Where can I read about "Google getting caught" harvesting user data from Docs and Nest for ad targeting? A quick search comes up empty, zero zilch nada. The closest I can find is Google might send out an email to their Nest customers to try and sell them more Nest gear, and nothing at all about Google Docs."
So you don't have any source at all for claiming "Google was caught", you are in essence just posting FUD? Why do people do that, make stuff up in order that their choices sound better or smarter, or even more trivially doing so in order to collect likes from the audience? Honesty is so much better for demonstrating that.
Please don't make stuff up, it's not necessary to make your point, and if it is essential then you never had a valid point in the first place.
No I'm not making anything up. Maybe I’ve just been paying more attention to this issue. Here’s what I found in a few minutes of searching.
First, after promising that Nest would stay separate and not share any user data with Google, they now share ALL the data with Google. this means that your behaviour in your house and when you come and go is added to your dossier.
Oh but then late model Nest devices have a microphone in them and Google “forgot” to tell anyone about them, that it was a “mistake”. Yeah that is what a trustworthy company does.
But then we’ve all heard about how Google’s StreetView cars were collecting private WiFi data wherever they went. The best part about that was when the story first broke they said it wasn’t true. Then they confessed and said it was a “mistake”. Sound familiar?
It’s well established that they scanned GMail to send targeted ads. My favourite part is how they said they didn’t and then one day they said they wouldn’t do that ANYMORE. What’s that old line about fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me?
Of course it’s come out that Google stores private and location information even if you set privacy settings to block that. Remember the microphone in Nest devices? It was set to off in the privacy settings too.
So as far as Google Docs while there is a lot of speculation and vague mentions of the ability, and admins able to access your data, and able to report you to authorities if they see something in your docs that’s criminal, (of course how would they know if they don’t scan everything). But there’s no proof. But as one article I came across written by a lawyer said, “I tell my clients to not use Google Docs for anything confidential.”
With Google’s history of denying, getting caught, saying they’d never do it again, and then getting caught again, I’d say it’s a safe bet they are.
That has little to nothing to do with what you claimed,
Huh, I give you a list of specific examples of where Google has proven untrustworthy, and has been cribbing data without permission, even at points lying about it and you reply that it has nothing to do with the discussion of how Google has a history of being untrustworthy..
This conversation is over.
Apparently you didn't read my reply beyond the first sentence: "That has little to nothing to do with what you claimed, that Google was caught taking user data from Nest and Google Docs to monetize for ads. There were not according to any link you offered. Just admit you were at best mistaken. Simple. Had you said Google has sometimes given people reason to question what they've said I would agree with you. They have.The German WiFi snippet scanning is a prime example. If I were the EU I too would insist on a legally binding document about Fitbit health data."
Him: Google stole user data without consent for mining.
You: Show me evidence of this infraction!
Him: Here’s a page full of evidence clearly demonstrating how they took user data without consent.
You: Ah! They stole it, but you haven’t proven they mined data they stole.
Yeah, my wife and I were early adopters of Fitbit's products, but it very quickly became obvious that a huge part of their business model involved holding your data hostage, not to mention whatever other monetization schemes they had planned for "renting" your data out to third parties. And then they were bought by Google, the king of personal data collection and monetization. Not that I was seriously considering going back to Fitbit's products anyway, but now it's definitely a hard pass for me!
Fitbit hasn't been purchased by Google... Yet.
The EU expressed concerns about Google becoming even stronger in ad placement with access to health-related data too. Because of that Google publically announced they'd not use any Fitbit collected data for advertising purchases post-purchase. No real change since Google doesn't allow ads based on users health conditions/data now.
The EU Commission then said "do you promise" which Google answered "Yes we do". The EU wasn't done yet tho, then asking Google to sign a legally binding agreement to that effect as a condition of EU approval. Again Google said no problem, give us the agreement to sign, we have no intention of using health data for targeted ads. I guess that called the EU's bluff because now Ms. Vestager is saying beyond that she has other concerns with a big US tech even having access to EU citizen data.
I suspect she'll find a way to decline it if she believes it will be upheld when Google appeals the denial to purchase. IMO if that were to happen Fitbit assets will be sold off to someone who won't be as restricted by competition authorities as Google would be. Fitbit won't survive on its own and will be forced to find another buyer.
The trouble is that Google has a history of swearing on their mother’s grave that they won’t mine X data for advertizing, and then getting caught doing it. Google Docs, Nest to name just two.
To which I replied, asking: "Are those two things being used for targeted advertising monetization? First I've seen of that. Are you sure it's not just something someone said someplace without any source? Where can I read about "Google getting caught" harvesting user data from Docs and Nest for ad targeting? A quick search comes up empty, zero zilch nada. The closest I can find is Google might send out an email to their Nest customers to try and sell them more Nest gear, and nothing at all about Google Docs."
So you don't have any source at all for claiming "Google was caught", you are in essence just posting FUD? Why do people do that, make stuff up in order that their choices sound better or smarter, or even more trivially doing so in order to collect likes from the audience? Honesty is so much better for demonstrating that.
Please don't make stuff up, it's not necessary to make your point, and if it is essential then you never had a valid point in the first place.
No I'm not making anything up. Maybe I’ve just been paying more attention to this issue. Here’s what I found in a few minutes of searching.
First, after promising that Nest would stay separate and not share any user data with Google, they now share ALL the data with Google. this means that your behaviour in your house and when you come and go is added to your dossier.
Oh but then late model Nest devices have a microphone in them and Google “forgot” to tell anyone about them, that it was a “mistake”. Yeah that is what a trustworthy company does.
But then we’ve all heard about how Google’s StreetView cars were collecting private WiFi data wherever they went. The best part about that was when the story first broke they said it wasn’t true. Then they confessed and said it was a “mistake”. Sound familiar?
It’s well established that they scanned GMail to send targeted ads. My favourite part is how they said they didn’t and then one day they said they wouldn’t do that ANYMORE. What’s that old line about fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me?
Of course it’s come out that Google stores private and location information even if you set privacy settings to block that. Remember the microphone in Nest devices? It was set to off in the privacy settings too.
So as far as Google Docs while there is a lot of speculation and vague mentions of the ability, and admins able to access your data, and able to report you to authorities if they see something in your docs that’s criminal, (of course how would they know if they don’t scan everything). But there’s no proof. But as one article I came across written by a lawyer said, “I tell my clients to not use Google Docs for anything confidential.”
With Google’s history of denying, getting caught, saying they’d never do it again, and then getting caught again, I’d say it’s a safe bet they are.
That has little to nothing to do with what you claimed,
Huh, I give you a list of specific examples of where Google has proven untrustworthy, and has been cribbing data without permission, even at points lying about it and you reply that it has nothing to do with the discussion of how Google has a history of being untrustworthy..
This conversation is over.
Apparently you didn't read my reply beyond the first sentence: "That has little to nothing to do with what you claimed, that Google was caught taking user data from Nest and Google Docs to monetize for ads. There were not according to any link you offered. Just admit you were at best mistaken. Simple. Had you said Google has sometimes given people reason to question what they've said I would agree with you. They have.The German WiFi snippet scanning is a prime example. If I were the EU I too would insist on a legally binding document about Fitbit health data."
Him: Google stole user data without consent for mining.
You: Show me evidence of this infraction!
Him: Here’s a page full of evidence clearly demonstrating how they took user data without consent.
You: Ah! They stole it, but you haven’t proven they mined data they stole.
Is that the gist of your argument?
Nope. You a far better reader than you're pretending to be at the moment. Go back, read for comprehension, and try again.
Hint: Dalseth and I have some things we're actually agreeing on. You should try to figure out what those are. Heck I even stated where we agreed. His original assertions are the ones we do not. Why? Because they were wrong.
Comments
You: Show me evidence of this infraction!
Him: Here’s a page full of evidence clearly demonstrating how they took user data without consent.
Hint: Dalseth and I have some things we're actually agreeing on. You should try to figure out what those are. Heck I even stated where we agreed. His original assertions are the ones we do not. Why? Because they were wrong.
It's not that hard.