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It feels like there is a new story every week, or sometimes a few a week, of how Google is doing something untrustworthy or "evil" in the eyes of the general public.
Be it changing their privacy policy, Google's SPYW in Kenya, Search Plus Your World over the top personalization, and most recently cookiegate - I ask myself, at what point does Google lose that trust given to them by their users?
The more and more users have handed over their most private information, in exchange for convenience, personalization, storage and more - the more users had to trust Google. But with all this bad PR for Google, will users revolt? Not you or I, but real users? I doubt it - which is sad, because users are lazy, uneducated and wouldn't even know how.
Of course Google prides themselves in making it easy to turn off things and take your data with you. But they know very well, most users won't.
The bigger issue is, as Google gets their hands into more and more areas of the web (are they currently not in everything?) - the more this issues will come up.
Google can keep saying that they had best intentions and it was done for the user but at some point they will and have lose the trust of their most important asset, the user.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld & Cre8asite Forums.
Image credit to ShutterStock for faith blocks.
Comments:
Alex Genadinik
02/20/2012 01:46 pm
Larry Page era feels like tyranny. I don't like what he is doing.
JosephRatliff
02/20/2012 01:48 pm
You bring up some valid points, the average user in fact WON'T turn every thing off and leave, because Google makes things so easy to use. I think they do this so well, people are willing to have their privacy violated, cookies loaded onto their systems etc... to "pay the ferryman" for making it so easy.
Paul
02/20/2012 02:24 pm
The culture of Google has changed forever. As soon as they went public and threw Larry Page into Darth Vader's mask to make more money. They are not to be trusted.
Kes Phelps
02/20/2012 05:06 pm
Why do people fuss about this... since like forever people have been starting businesses with an 'ethical' message and getting people to buy in to the ideal before selling out. It's the oldest trick in the internet book: build community -> monetize -> get rich
Matthew
02/20/2012 10:31 pm
Did someone take note that the Google Logo on the left side is no longer clickable?
Fede Einhorn
02/21/2012 01:02 am
yeah! what is that!?!?
Fede Einhorn
02/21/2012 01:03 am
I think they're just used to it.
Ricky Shah
02/21/2012 07:03 am
People fuss about it because they admired Google and its transparency in the past. People admire them because of their innovation. But the same can not be hold true now.
Jane
02/21/2012 09:44 am
What Transparency dear? Google always did negative what it preaches.... 1. Google said affiliates are not adding value to search...and at the same time Google itself becomes affiliate and integratings its shopping results (affilaite links) in search. Same goes for ai line, hotels industru. Google itself become affiliate ..check the url of google shopping results :) 2. Google preach about facebook privacy issues whereas it has shown how untrusted google is by examples likes Google Buzz and Google Plus . 3. Google is criticizing Microsft for its "lacking" in internet explorer...whereas itself bypassing the rules. Its like Toyota blaiming roads for poor brake performance and keep bragigng bout how useful that brake system is.. there are hundred more examples......about Google doing exactly oppostie of Transparency or generally against what it preaches other to do...
Ricky Shah
02/21/2012 10:03 am
First of all let me make it clear that, I ain't a die hard fan of Google. In fact, I'm always against Adsense (one more product from Google) ambiguous policy. Earlier this year, Google was caught of wrongly promoting Google Chrome and found guilty of promoting its own product (link buying scandal). There are plenty other examples. Ever since it has invaded in social networking arena, it has started playing dirty. All of its recent products are good examples of it. There is always a thin line between what to do and what not to. While Google is good at imposing those rules, they never followed their own path. I've to agree with all the above arguments.
Nathaniel Bailey
02/21/2012 10:25 am
lol I aint even looked at the new google privacy policy or this cookiegate thing tbh. And I dont really care to if im perfectly honest! Google IMO is the best search engine in that 9/10 it turns up what I have searched for just fine so if that means they need to watch what I do to keep doing that as more and more people join the web, so be it. As long as google dont sell my private information so I get spam emails, phone calls and text, I dont mind them know my name, where I live what browser Im on as so on.
Chris Lu
02/21/2012 02:54 pm
"I doubt it - which is sad, because users are lazy, uneducated and wouldn't even know how" wow......
Art Science Web
02/22/2012 03:53 pm
Amen.
Warren
02/23/2012 01:27 pm
I think you're right, most people don't know or care. All they are interested in is the convenience that the Google services provide. I can understand that way of thinking whilst not agreeing with it.
Ip Core
03/03/2012 05:55 am
Google is nothing more than adware/spyware deliverd in the trojan horse of search and "cloud" services.
Katie Ashley
03/06/2012 12:37 pm
The average user won't care and won't know what the implications are anyway
Kcee
03/09/2012 02:31 pm
The most common complaintsare the ones concerning the adsense. How they turn off their ads etc without notice and so on. But many people don't actually take care to read their policies very well. As a publisher you should know this like the ten commandments. When you suspect foul play you can as well look at other alternatives or even start advertising spaces on your sites.
fastrada
03/24/2012 03:11 pm
Ever take a look at how many people don't get the reality of Social Networking, or how inaccurate net information can be. One can be linked obscurely forever via the internet. In the White Pages one may be linked to strangers. Always connected, do you have ADD, OCD or perhaps insecurity issues.