Is there anyone that hasn’t heard of Google? It’s a noun,
it’s a verb, and it’s a company that purchases other tech companies as it
continually expands and changes the way we work, play and surf the web! Consumers, business owners, marketers and
many others rely on Google for analytics and detailed reports on what others
are doing on their websites. With all of the information Google collects
through millions of Google Analytics, Gmail, Google + accounts, it’s hard not
to think about where it goes and what Google does with it.
Popular blog site Mashable created an interesting piece
titled “5 Things Google Does With Your Data” which can be viewed below:
Google is so concerned about “privacy” they have their own
website named “Google Safety Center” where they detail the best way to keep
your information safe. They offer everything from password protection hints to
security tips to keep your children safe on the web (Google Safety Center,
2014). If Google puts this much emphasis
on personal data, you would hope the company feels the same way about
confidential corporate data. In 2013 it was reported that 63% of Fortune 500 websites now use Google Analytics
(Farina, 2013).
According to Google’s Analytics’ website, Google protects the confidentiality of your company
data in several ways:
• Google Analytics customers are prohibited
from sending personal information to Google-
The Google Analytics terms of
service, which all Google Analytics customers must adhere to,
prohibits sending personally identifiable information (PII) to Google
Analytics. PII includes any data that can be used by Google to identify an
individual, including (but not limited to) names, email addresses, or billing
information.
• Data cannot be shared without consent-
Google Analytics data may not
be shared without customer consent, except under certain limited circumstances,
such as when required by law.
Google Analytics
continues to invest in security-
Security-dedicated engineering teams at Google guard
against external threats to data. Internal access to data (e.g., by employees)
is regulated and subject to the Employee Access Controls and Procedures.
(Google Data Confidentiality, 2014).
These are just a few of the ways Google says they protect
data stored in their Analytics platform.
With privacy on the minds of many of us today, Google has a
responsibility to protect its user’s information. With services that range from
video streaming to in-home monitoring, Google has placed itself at the center
of our lives; with that comes a responsibility.
Trusting the company with our contact information and credit card is one
thing, but trusting the company with 100% control of functions in our home is
another. With Google’s acquisition of “Nest”, the company has shown that it is
ready to move closer to making our life fully connected from our job to our
mobile devices, and finally to our home.
According to an article in the Wall
Street Journal, this deal would be Google's
second largest, behind its 2012 acquisition of cellphone maker Motorola
Mobility, and marks another expansion of the company's ambitions beyond its
search advertising business, from robots to self-driving cars (Wakabayashi,
Winkler, 2014). Google’s new acquisition of Nest
branches out to include products called “drop cameras” that allow us to monitor
the inside of our home while away on vacation. Some other products include
thermostats that can be completely controlled by a smartphone from
anywhere. So what does this mean for
consumers? The convenience of controlling a home from anywhere comes with a
price. Google will
technically have access to a wealth of data about what goes on in our homes
(Chiapetta, 2014). Forbes contributor Marco Chiapetta posed this example:
If you own a PC and use Google for search (or use Chrome as your browser,
GMAIL, etc.), and also own an Android-based device, a Nest product, and a
Dropcam, the data collected by all of these pieces of technology can reveal
virtually everything about you. Google would know what sites you visit and what
you’ve searched for, where you are at any given time (assuming you’re carrying
your smartphone), your contacts, Wi-Fi passwords, the temperature you like to
keep in your house, and the list goes on and on. Google could theoretically
even listen in on activities in your home, not to mention check out video feeds
at will. If you’ve also got a few Dropcam Tabs installed, they’d even be able
to tell when certain doors and widows are opened, or where you’ve stashed
something (Chiapetta, 2014). This is not something consumers should take
lightly. Personally, I don’t think I would trust Google with such sensitive
information. In the meantime, I’ll stick with my traditional thermostat and
trusty guard dog Riley!
Google’s data collection in many ways is a necessary
evil. Without many of Google’s tools,
especially products like G-mail, Google Analytics, and YouTube, we would be
missing out on some spectacular products that help make our lives better and
make sharing information via the Internet easier for individuals and businesses
alike. Other products like Nest, Google Glass, and Google’s investments into
self-driving cars seem a bit more intrusive on our privacy and raise concerns
for me as a marketer and a consumer.
Although I believe Google truly has the public’s best interest in mind,
their technology comes at a price. As
products evolve, consumers will need to decide for themselves how far is too
far when it comes to the trade offs of Google Product vs. Privacy. At what point is allowing Google to take
pictures in your home not worth the “technology” and “perks” that come with
specific products and services. Although
I am a “millennial”, my co-workers often joke that I’m an old soul. I respect
my privacy and would never allow a Google/Nest Product to monitor my home,
however, I am willing to share my Google+ profile and continuously use Google
Analytics and G-mail.
Just by typing the words, “Google’s Privacy Issues”, a
variety of articles appear from major publications like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes,
BusinessWeek, Marketwatch, Huffington Post,
etc. In 2013 The New York Times reported
on a court case against Google that was given permission to proceed regarding
privacy issues surrounding Google’s Street Car used to take pictures of homes
and streets to publish on Google Maps (Streitfeld, 2013). This is just proof that the topic of privacy
is indeed a hot topic, and consumers are genuinely worried. Even as technology evolves, there is a human
breaking point that we simply cannot ignore.
Google must recognize the boundaries and respect those boundaries while
also providing products and services that protect personal and confidential
information.
This is a topic that will continue to evolve and be argued
many times over as Google grows and wi-fi and mobile technology evolves. How much are you willing to share with
Google?
References:
Analytics-Data
Confidentiality. (2014, January 1). Retrieved December 1, 2014, from
http://www.google.com/analytics/learn/privacy.html?rd=1
Chiappetta,
M. (2014, June 23). Google Nest Labs' Acquisition Of Dropcam Scares The Heck
Out Of Me. Retrieved December 1, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcochiappetta/2014/06/23/google-nest-labs-acquisition-of-dropcam-scares-the-heck-out-of-me/
Erickson,
C. (2012, March 1). Google Privacy: 5 Things the Tech Giant Does With Your
Data. Retrieved December 1, 2014, from
http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/google-privacy-data-policy/
Farina,
C. (2013, October 21). Google Analytics Solidifies Lead in Fortune 500 Adoption
in 2013 « E-Nor Blog – Marketing Optimization and Google Analytics. Retrieved
December 1, 2014, from
http://www.e-nor.com/blog/google-analytics/google-analytics-solidifies-lead-in-fortune-500-adoption-in-2013
Rosenfeld,
S. (2014, February 5). 4 ways Google is destroying privacy and collecting your
data. Retrieved December 1, 2014, from http://www.salon.com/2014/02/05/4_ways_google_is_destroying_privacy_and_collecting_your_d
Safety
Center – Google. (2014, January 1). Retrieved December 1, 2014, from
http://www.google.com/safetycenter/
Streitfeld,
D. (2013, September 10). Court Says Privacy Case Can Proceed vs. Google.
Retrieved December 1, 2014, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/11/technology/court-says-privacy-case-can-proceed-vs-google.html?_r=0
Winkler,
R., & Wakabayashi, D. (2014, January 13). Google to Buy Nest Labs for $3.2
Billion. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from
http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303595404579318952802236612
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