Every search you've ever launched through Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), every page you've ever visited as a result of said search -- that's the info that Google announced this week they have compiled and will offer back to you via Google Web History.Though they guise it as a service designed for my convenience, I must admit the thought of their hanging onto such data sends chills up my spine. I suppose I've been a willing participant in the delusion that the size and complexity of the Internet grants my browsing habits a measure of anonymity. Now, however, I find that the service that has been feeding my addiction is also videotaping me at my worst, then offering me the opportunity to relive those moments at my convenience.
And it's not necessary. My browser, your browser, all have a history feature that stores locally a track of sites visited. We can let the list compile or delete it at our pleasure.
Of course, that's not the 500-lb. gorilla in this story. The gorilla is the possibility that my web travels will be available to anyone able to convince a judge to write an order, or to any hacker talented enough to pose as me. Identity theft? Somehow, I feel more violated by this than by someone pinching my credit card.
The Googlebund's greatest enemy at the moment is the human fear of consolidated power, and the possibility that one day we will refuse to feed the monster with our mouse clicks. Until now, I've been willing to concede little pieces of my freedom in return for the riches returned. But now that I know that they are in fact the kid hiding behind the garage recording my every movement, I may have to find an alternative.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-21-2007 @ 2:01PM
Mel said...
"Big Brother's tattletale son"? That's utterly redundant, and makes me wonder if you have any idea what the concept of Big Brother is beyond being a name for a TV show.
4-21-2007 @ 2:02PM
Tom Barlow said...
It's an Apple ad, isn't it? I always thought it would make a great conceit for a novel, too.
4-21-2007 @ 2:53PM
JDB said...
I think this is big brother at its worst. I am not going to use Goggle any longer. There are other browsers that can be used. I think there should be a federal law preventing companies like Goggle from compiling this type of data.
If any Lawyer wants to start a class action against Goggle I will happily be one of the plaintiffs.
4-24-2007 @ 11:26PM
D said...
You think other search tools don't store this information?
And it's not out of the blue, either. You agreed to this kind of data capture explicitly when you signed up for Google services, and implicitly even when you started using it to search.