An acquaintance asked this question:

"(I) have heard that Google accounts can act as a CIA (i.e. gain access too all one's information -- somehow or other. Have you an opinion on this?"

My reply:

I hadn't heard about this but worry little about it being true. Though Google may want to do this (may being the key word here), people in the internet industry are fiercely protective of their privacy. If word ever got out that Google was amassing and scrutinizing user data like this (and word would get out) the Google brand name and stock price would drop through the floor. By my reasoning, it is simply not in Google's economic self-interest to do such a thing.

Tags: Google | CIA | Iinternet | privacy | spying |