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jboitnottJul 6, 2010
Google and Facebook definitely must continue to worry about the souring of their reputation.
dabestdefenseJul 7, 2010
Why? Facebook will go the way of MySpace and Google will continue to thrive...one trick ponies, no matter how good the trick, do not last that long...
pogleJul 6, 2010
all your info are belong to us
jrod4040Jul 7, 2010
George Orwell was right.
milepigJul 7, 2010
Orwell warned against government surveillance.
timthetaxmanJul 7, 2010
@MilePig
GOvernments have sent Google and it’s affiliates over 10,000 requests for user data in the last half of 2009 alone.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/042010-google-youtube-government-data.html
Also, the NSA scans basically all internet traffic in the USA without a warrent per the Patriot Act.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSA_warrantless_surveillance_controversy
blacklabelsarJul 7, 2010
Oligarchy and Corporatism
esb82Jul 7, 2010
If the world is becoming Orwellian, it's because it's already Huxleyan:
http://bit.ly/6c2aT
kopiwriteJul 7, 2010
Unfortunately it seems BOTH were right. :-\ However Huxley's predictions are more applicable to this article.
steviejanowskiJul 7, 2010
With apples new ad product and their connection to at&t I would throw them on here too.
takamalakJul 7, 2010
How do you figure, numbnuts? iAd is small potatoes. The info it collects is based on location services and other app installs. You won't see ads like "Hey Stevie, fix your ED with this new Bonex topical ointment! Your wife, Linda will love you for it. -- Ads provided by Google"Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
jceezJul 7, 2010
I dunno man, having an advertiser know my exact location via a cell phone is pretty scary.
rudegarJul 7, 2010
more likely their tracking your movements on gps
danconiaJul 7, 2010
I still would trust my money, identity, and secrets with any of these companies long before I'd trust the government with them.
csmassJul 7, 2010
Don't be a fool. The government is much more secure, than these private companies. What these companies are doing is nothing short of identity theft, and a slew of other crimes, and because they are BIG and donate to political parties, they will continue their escapades.
takamalakJul 7, 2010
OK, Ted, lets have a look inside your shed now, won't we...
dabestdefenseJul 7, 2010
No worries, if you trust these companies with your secrets they are making sure the government has them as well...
rygokeJul 7, 2010
i wonder if one of those companies are going to have an emerging leader and have a reputation that would call him the business-style Hitler...there's a lot of cyber wars over who gets the most money with these businesses
shawngreenJul 7, 2010
Sucks for me I guess....or something. Google knows what I've been searching. Amazon knows what I've been buying. Oh noes. I really don't see the threat of this. I guess it's kind of weird but I really doubt any human being has actually looked at my online activity. Even if they have, how does this hurt me? I've yet to see an explanation of how this could negatively affect me in the future unless I decide to Google "how to be a terrorist" which would just be stupid.
csmassJul 7, 2010
When they have your CC, your SSN, your Address, and your likes dislikes, etc it allows them to virtually be you, if they so chose, and good luck if an employ of theirs or hacker stole that and used it to their advantage. I highly doubt the courts would know what to do or even be able to find out.
shawngreenJul 7, 2010
You should write a sequel to "The Net".
freegovernatorJul 7, 2010
That's a good point. I'm not an overly paranoid, big brother, doomsayer, but I do think there are situations to be concerned about. Most of these companies have put in "super-cookies" on browsers which cannot be deleted. If you combine that with the fact that between Google, AT&T and Facebook, there are highly influential groups out there that know everything from who your friends are, to what you are doing, to where you are, and what you are talking about. How are they doing this? Gmail has a list of all your communications with people and what you are talking about. Facebook also has a list of all your affiliations not on gmail. AT&T records all your cell phone calls for the NSA. Google also keeps a list of all your searches and many people use Google Docs as well. That's a lot of personal information that is effectively public to anyone that is willing to pay for that info.
How is that misused?
Look at the case of Elliot Spitzer. He was a presidential candidate before the scandal with the hooker. How did they get that "evidence"? They illegally tapped his cell phone without a warrant. How convenient that the person most likely to be a threat to the existing power structure is caught in a huge scandal.
This kind of information becomes an easy tool to use for people in power to keep people in line. While Google, AT&T or Facebook probably would never do it, people in power most certainly would to protect their interests.
99% of people are not impacted by this, but 1% that would make a difference in the existing power structure probably will be blackmailed, extorted, or flat out coerced to do what they want.
Think about it. How many people use bittorrent? How many people go to porn sites? How many people search for bizarre things? How many people talk to friends about private matters online?
Is it illegal? No. But do you want it public? No. What if you were one day in a position where you could make an influential policy decision, but someone could anonymously expose and discredit you based on stuff you talked about or searched for a decade ago? That's the power we are handing over when we so easily give up our private information.
Will it affect you? Probably not directly. But you can bet that for many people trying to make a difference to the existing power structures, that it probably is an issue for them. And the more we allow it to happen, the more likely we will continue to see corruption and corporate handouts at the expense of the people.
Whether we want to admit it or not, most people would not be crazy about everyone knowing the very private aspects of our lives, regardless of whether or not it is illegal.
jasakaperxJul 7, 2010
I'm sure Apple is in that article along with google
takamalakJul 7, 2010
No My Space? I guess twilight fans don't have any info worth having...
thelegaceJul 7, 2010
My concern doesn't really lie with Google,Facebook,Yahoo and even AOL(as if that company as an impact on the world).
FTA:
"Accenture is on this list for their growing reputation in expanding digital dossiers and accepting a $10 billion dollar contract with the United States Department of Homeland Security to build a surveillance system that tracks visitors, to, from, and within the United States. The system calls for extensive fingerprints and photographs of all visa wavier travelers and non-naturalized U.S. residents. The system is also experimenting in futuristic technologies such as biometrics via iris scanning and facial recognition. So not only does Accenture know your credit history and previous court dates (even if only jury duty), they also know what you look like."
I am from Canada, and I always am nervous going into the US, I was born in Dubai and of Indian descent, and I can never feel comfortable, I don't know what US customs problems is, but they always seem to be dicks. Coming into Canada is a lot weirder because the people seem pretty nice, they even kind of joke around. But damn, I only thing I hate about travelling to states is the customs guys.
fifteenstepperJul 7, 2010
It's not like these companies are collecting your info so they can blackmail you. They're just looking for a buck.
Except Google, of course. They're taking over the world.
vectorbJul 7, 2010
Where is Fox News? They are the Ministry of Truth.
kirstpoJul 7, 2010
Fox News, neoconservatives, Think Tanks seem to actively practice "doublethink". Then the Congress, Think Tanks, and the military make up the Ministry of Peace with their constant wars. First we fight against Eurasia....no the enemy is Eastasia and we are allied with Eurasia....no it's the other way around. The enemy is communist Russia and Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein are our allies, now the enemy is terrorists' and Bin Laden in Afghanistan is the enemy, no the enemy is actually Iraq and Saddam Hussein is the enemy, we're back to Afghanistan.
wrath017Jul 7, 2010
No apple, eh? What a surprise. Apple is so Big Brotherish, the author of this article didn't dare include it.
megadan76Jul 7, 2010
Ironic 'Facebook Like' button at the bottom of article.
throwneJul 7, 2010
Lets all make fake profiles
onisyphonJul 7, 2010
Crap, my real name is actually OniSyphon.
I've been using the Internet so wrong all these years.
niradgJul 7, 2010
Who wrote this? Steve Jobs?
enantiodromiaJul 7, 2010
oh no, no one mentioned Apple yet... i'll have to take matters into my own hands!
lol
ageofmasteryJul 7, 2010
Apple's mentioned at least twice before this
http://digg.com/business_finance/1984_Ranking_Todays_Worst_Big_Brother_Companies?t=33691216#c33691216
http://digg.com/business_finance/1984_Ranking_Todays_Worst_Big_Brother_Companies?t=33694627#c33694627
mikeytwitJul 7, 2010
"We have assumed control! We have assumed control! All planets of The Solar Federation, we have assumed control!"
jshhmrJul 7, 2010
We've taken care of everything, the words you read, the songs you sing, the pictures that give pleasure to you eyes. It's one for all, and all for one, if we work together common son, never need to wonder how or why.
/Steve Jobs
feverhostJul 7, 2010
WTF... no AT&T.. are you insane? The worst Big Brother company out there right now. Do we all forget the Bush Wire Taping and other illegal activities from this company?
rudegarJul 7, 2010
maybe they are speaking globally ?
you know the rest of the world and all
enantiodromiaJul 7, 2010
How is AT&T worse than Google?
blacklabelsarJul 7, 2010
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=at%26t+wiretapping+case&aq=1&aqi=g2g-m1&aql=&oq=at%26t+wiretapping&gs_rfai=CYQymueI0TLPsAqeqgATg1ODJCQAAAKoEBU_QNZll&fp=4cb5f508e49085f6
enantiodromiaJul 8, 2010
Not everyone uses AT&T.
Everyone uses Google.
How is AT&T worse than Google?
enantiodromiaJul 8, 2010
Google knows:
* the contents of your email (AT&T cannot crack SSL)
* your search terms
* the web sites you visit
* your photos
* you documents
* your exact location down to 15'
* who your friends are
* who calls you
* who you call
* the contents of your voicemail in text format
* your DNS requests
* your USENET habits
Because Google provides:
* you email account
* your web browser
* your mobile phone OS
* your photo gallery
* your online docs
* your DNS server
* your GPS
* your maps
* your search engine
* your voice mail
* your free wifi in many cases
AT&T does not compare since:
* they cannot crack SSL
* aren't used by virtually all internet users
So again, how is AT&T worse than Google, considering you can sniff SSL all day long and never crack it, where as Google doesn't NEED to crack it, since they are the other side of the trusted communication?
feverhostJul 7, 2010
No.. Acxiom, Accenture, LexisNexis... are mostly U.S based companies. AOL.. "America" Online.. i'm sure they are talking about U.S companies.
weazlyJul 7, 2010
zomg the internet, if your so paranoid don't use it
Closed AccountJul 7, 2010
Here's a message of me rolling my head across the keyboard:
rffffffffff ujinuj7h6egvrt b7hy67'''''8/;'[p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p0p05ui9qe35yho0o0[qaz03nhy444444444444444444444489pComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
esb82Jul 7, 2010
Hm. Clicking on the ChoicePoint link redirects you to the LexisNexis website.
johninmtJul 7, 2010
Surprised there's no InfoUSA / InfoGroup on there. The amount of information they gather and purchase is scary. Politicians sell their list of donors to this company after they are done with them. Bill Clinton was a "consultant" for this company (good friends with Vinod Gupta). They run the polls on CNN. They are also notorious spammers that fall within the "CAN-SPAM" compliant type of spam unfortunately. Nasty nasty company...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InfoGROUP
Nice article about them selling lists of elderly people to scammers:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/business/20tele.html
From the article:
InfoUSA advertised lists of “Elderly Opportunity Seekers,” 3.3 million older people “looking for ways to make money,” and “Suffering Seniors,” 4.7 million people with cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. “Oldies but Goodies” contained 500,000 gamblers over 55 years old, for 8.5 cents apiece. One list said: “These people are gullible. They want to believe that their luck can change.”
unitedatheismJul 7, 2010
Buried for no Apple.
keggluneqJul 8, 2010
Ironically, Apple's big marketing debut was of a woman smashing the Big Brother screen with a sledgehammer. The voice-over message at the end says: "On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like '1984'."
Shockmonk3yJul 7, 2010
"Until the become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they they have rebelled they cannot become conscious."
- George Orwell, 1984, Book 1, Chapter 7
jshhmrJul 7, 2010
Ummmm, Apple is the worst. THEY tell the buyer what they can and cannot do, which is essentially renting a product, not owning it. I am going to assume the author is an Apple fanboy.
tvz6Jul 7, 2010
No one forced you to use google.
npiernoJul 7, 2010
WTF... the worst thing the site for all these companies is that they're targeting ads to your interests.. This makes the internet better if you ask me. I get far less penis growth ads these days (they must be monitoring my sexting)
npiernoJul 7, 2010
This article is weak.
""As we continue to develop our business, we might sell or buy stores, subsidiaries, or business units. In such transactions, customer information generally is one of the transferred business assets.""
-"Yes, you read that correctly, Amazon is in the business of selling private consumer data. And for that move, they earn the #7 spot in our ranking."
---You may have read it correctly, but the author didn't... They're saying when they buy a business they transfer assets to that new business, like capital and intellectual property (your info's) .. So that might be s**tty, but it's no more s**tty than them having your s**t in the first place..
npiernoJul 7, 2010
And someone tell Lou he's a fag
nepidaeJul 8, 2010
Hack the planet!
keggluneqJul 8, 2010
This begs the question: how much is this information actually worth? All these companies are going after the same direct-marketing pie which is finite.You can't have an entirely advertising-based economy; at some point you have to make something and sell it. Most advertisers are wasting their money if they're paying for access to my online shopping habits.
characterassasnJul 8, 2010
Spoiler alert...
characterassasnJul 8, 2010
Big Brother wins!
grungemusic3001Jul 9, 2010
Buried for not included one of the most privacy invasive companies of all time: Intelius