Here’s a great CNBC special on privacy. What I learned:
1) Every digital picture you take is encoded with the camera’s serial number.
2) Every Google search you do is stored and can often be connected to your name. Already, a man’s Google searches have been used against him in court. (He deserved it, but that doesn’t justify the invasion of privacy.)
3) Federal agencies are forbidden from keeping information on private citizens, so contractors do it for them. You’ve never heard of these companies, but they’ve heard all about you.
I have actually been using a Firefox plugin, CustomizeGoogle, for
years– it makes it so that your information isn’t sent to Google.
It’s customizable, so it’s useful in other ways as well. I used to
love Google and was actually a Google Answers Researcher, (see
www.nytimes.com/2005/09/22/technology/circuits/22answer.html
for some background) but when they shut down Google Answers with very
little notice or care for researchers, I was highly upset and have
been wishing/waiting for their downfall ever since. It will come soon
I’m sure :)
Anyway, your blog is excellent!
Thanks. I just installed it. Customizegoogle is great.