Privacy Invasion ? You Search Google - Now Google Wants to Search You
Robert F . Smallwood , IGP Keynote Speaker , Information Governance Subject Matter Expert Since the revelations of Edward Snowden and the overreach of the U . S . National Security Agency ' s spying on Americans and our political allies abroad , things have changed . It is common knowledge that Google , Facebook , Microsoft , Apple and other major tech players are collecting massive amounts of personal information on average Americans and other citizens around the world . It has also been reported in the press that Google has been assisting the CIA in spying operations .
Google continues to ramp up its efforts to spy on you , by listening to your conversations , and surveilling everything from the traffic on your street to the number of trees in your neighborhood ( which is an apparent indicator of wealth ) and even what is going on inside your home .
Here is what was reported last week :
" Privacy campaigners and open source developers are up in arms over the secret installing of Google software which is capable of listening in on conversations held in front of a computer ."
That ' s right , there is a feature in Chrome to turn on your audio and listen in to your conversations in your home or office . ( Of course , Google has some lame stonewalling excuse for installing it and invading your privacy ). This is going farther than Microsoft did when it purchased Skype and gained the ability to listen in and view your phone and video conference calls .
Photo courtesy : portal gda , Flickr google _ privacy
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