Chapter 8: Search, Privacy,
Government, and Evil
By: Marissa Gittelman
Tuesday, March 27 2007
CPS 49:Google, the Computer Science within and
its Impact on Society
“This will go on your
permanent record”
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Google knows where you live
Reverse directories scare people
Google is just making the connection
America built on the “right to know”
(legal public information)
No one used to to look, but now its easy
to get information about anyone
Problems arise
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People trying to sue - but you can’t shoot the
messenger
Getting personal…
When is it too public?
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Government still isn’t sure where to draw the line
Privacy vs. Right to Know
Implications of this massive storehouse of
identifiable information?
“Search Me”
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Gmail (1 gigabyte and a search
interface)
Ads too relevant
Concerns…can trace entire web usage
Legislatures wanted to ban Gmail in
California --- protections instead
Hit a nerve
How else can you be tracked
and recorded?
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Google Desktop Search
ISP and Universities
What if it falls into the wrong hands?
Its about trust…
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Relationship with service provider
But do we really know the policies? And
trust our providers?
Unreasonable Search?
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US Patriot Act
http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.
html
Response to 9/11
Re-hash of Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001?
Access to private information
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Internet, phone tapping
What happened to the fourth amendment?
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/ame
ndment04/
Liberties vs. Security?
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You wouldn’t even know
Times of war
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Balance between liberties and national
security
New York’s refusal
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People should at least be informed
Renewal in 2005?
Do No Evil?
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Brin brushes it off
1984? The ability to know
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Choicepoint
Google informally working with law
enforcement?
Google’s privacy policy: “We may share [private]
information….[if] we conclude that we are required by law or have good
faith belief that access, preservation or disclosure of such information is
reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of Google, its
users or the public.”
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Do no evil?
The China Question
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Censorship
The Great Firewall of China
China, the hybrid
Business vs social responsibility
Google in China…it’s complicated…
China News
“Do no evil” to “accessory to
evil”?
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People upset with Google
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But Google had to make a choice…
Decided some news better than no news
They gave in…
Baidu
Market Opportunity vs standing up to China
“trying to do the most good”
Tough Decision
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Different kind of company
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Let people down
Core values of freedom, independence,
resistance
Tough place, supposed to organize
information… became moral police
Impacting billions of lives
For the next turn of events…
Google Goes Public (2004)!