When the Government demands information from Google, Google yields 88% of the time. Interesting huh? We could be under investigation and not even know it! I read that there are certain pieces of information that they do not give up / cannot give up to them. Although, if the Government wants to get traffic information about you, or what you have queried, then they need a search warrant, the same privacy that applies to the documents in your own home also apply to your online documents. The same measures are required to obtain them if they can be obtained at all. It's interesting. The Government is reaching farther and farther into companies, which in turn leads the Government's hand to reach into people's lives. It's an intriguing idea, one that I'm not sure will ever stop growing. It's the nature of our Government right now. I think they have good intentions, and it's a smart idea, but it needs to be controlled, before our world turns into I-Robot or Eagle Eye....
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/google-celebrates-data-privacy-day-discussing-its-practice-turning-over-data-government_698164.html
I wonder if there is a lurking variable in those statistics. For example, I'm sure that many times the government came to Google with proper search warrants. This means that the government went through the proper channels to obtain a search warrant, which means the government probably came to your house to search as well. The 12% that Google turned away the government is probably when the government came to Google with an improper or no search warrant. What this means is that the government probably isn't getting much information about us through Google.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I've seen lots of arguments about this, but I really don't care. Until the government actually starts limiting rights based on information they shouldn't know, I don't care if they know when I washed my underwear last. I'm not doing anything illegal - it really doesn't bother me.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a lurking variable, and Ryan, that's a good mindset. But if you are doing anything illegal, don't put it on the internet ;) That way the government can't get anything about you.
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