May 29th, 2007
Google launches Street View; Be wary
If Google’s Street View is so great, why am I wary. Oh yeah, it must be the FOG (the fear of Google Robert Scoble talks about).
Hey, I’m happy to have street views until it zooms in on my house (I checked, but it doesn’t yet). It does get within a block or two of the CNET offices in New York.
So why am I less than enthusiastic about Street View. It’s just one more thing that gives me that Google Big Brother feeling. Now I know Google says it isn’t evil, but let’s connect a few dots.
- Google buys DoubleClick and a cookie archive second to none. It could come damn close to identifying me through click prints.
- Google has my credit card info via Google Checkout.
- Google has a few gigabytes of my emails and can serve ads with increasing precision.
- Google will see those handy spreadsheets I may create on Google Apps. Maybe it can see a memo or two.
- Sergei Brin’s new wife is taking care of my genetic data.
And now Google does Street View to rave reviews (see Techmeme). Nervous yet? Nah why bother. Google is easy. So easy you’ll fork over data and trust them. By time anyone really gets worried it’ll be too late.
Guess I should clean up those weeds in my front yard–Google may be shooting soon.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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