Google: Darth, or Anakin?

 

So the question keeps comming up... Is Google turning into an evil empire or not? With each new service that it unveils, the question comes up time and time again. Many Google critics have claimed that it has, ever since the release of Gmail. Their arguement? They argue that Google invades our privacy by it's target advertising crawl.

 

So I'm going to write about this arguement first. It is understandable, but absurd. Simply put, Google has published it's stringent privacy policy in which it states that no human being will ever read the contents of your e-mail unless the law forces them, or you authorize them. So, they say plainly that they aren't going to go poking around. Case taken care of. However, opponents of Google argue that this isn't enough, that there is nothing stopping Google employees from poking around, and beyond that, if even if they didn't, they do not want machines combing through their e-mail. Guess what, guys... if you have a webmail account, and even if you don't, your e-mail is not safe from being combed through.

 

The question I have to ask to opponents of Google's privacy policy, is this: Do you have anything to hide? Personally, I don't care if Google wants to put in an ad for an airline agency when it sees I'm trying to book a flight to New York. It is, in fact, rather helpful, especially since I don't have to do a subsequent search.

 

People worried about having their personal information stolen should not be using webmail of any sort...

 

So, the next few things, it appears that Google has decided to wage an all out war against the online community, giving consumers free products that are (often) better than paid services existing out in the cyberverse. No company or service has gone untouched... Microsoft, Yahoo, Aol, and E-bay are just some of the ones targeted by the search giant.

 

But with more and more people hailing Google as the next evil Microsoft, even as Microsoft continues to soften its public image, is Google really becomming Darth Vader? Or is it still the young Anakin Skywalker flexing the power that he now knows he has?