Austin American-Statesman: Google’s Misuse Of Data, Suppression Of Conservative Speech Must Stop
January 12, 2022
Texans should be very concerned about Google’s use of consumer data and privacy policies that are disguised by indecipherable legalese. New evidence and investigations have revealed much regarding Google’s data collection and its abuse of such information.
Alarming evidence reveals how Google is providing the Federal Government information about users who search for particular terms. Imagine being contacted or questioned because you simply searched someone’s name. It sounds like dystopian science fiction, but that is the path Big Tech is headed down.
This recent discovery is the latest example of how Google uses and abuses consumer data. The tech giant tracks its users’ location, search history and habits, all in pursuit of making money. Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote that “Google will never sell any personal information to third parties; and that you get to decide how your information is used.” The fact is, Google doesn’t need to sell your data. Instead, Google keeps your data and advertisers pay to access it. Google is not only tracking your every move but profiting from it.
Texans who use Google to search for a trendy new restaurant or hairstylist should realize that the company isn’t providing these services out of kindness.
“Google doesn’t really care about making money off the phone as much as they care about making money off the users as the commodity,’ explains Mike Davis of the Internet Accountability Project. “People think Google Search is great because it’s free, Gmail because it’s free, Google Maps is great because it’s free, but Google didn’t become a trillion-dollar monopolist by giving out freebies all day. This data is very valuable.”
The data that Google collects is used to put together a detailed profile about its users, everything from their daily habits, location and their favorite products. After Google amasses enough information, the corporation can sell it to advertisers who target carefully selected ads at potential customers. That is why a single visit to a shoe store or a doctor’s office can trigger a barrage of targeted ads.
Nationally, a majority of consumers are bothered by the creepy specificity of these ads, but most don’t know that Google makes $147 billion in ad revenue annually.
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Unlike the Big Tech monopolies, the Internet Accountability Project pledges to never sell or share your personal information, which is your property.