Google’s ‘Big Brother’ data privacy warning: Has Big G gone too far? - CSN News

Google’s ‘Big Brother’ data privacy warning: Has Big G gone too far? CSN News


Google’s ‘fingerprinting’ furore: has Big G gone too far?
Credit: Shutterstock, TY Lim

Privacy critics are outraged this week over Google’s latest move to allow ‘fingerprinting’, a clever – but controversial – technique that tracks users across devices more doggedly than ever before.

Campaigners say the search giant has crossed the line in what they call ‘a blatant disregard for user privacy.’ But is it all just a storm in a teacup – or the start of an online Big Brother?

Google has made some changes.

On Sunday, February 16, Google officially permitted advertisers to collect extra snippets of user data – ranging from IP addresses to the make and model of your smartphone or TV box. The goal is to better target advertisements when cookies crumbs alone are not enough.

Google claims that other companies already track you You can also find out more about the following: this way, and says it’s simply encouraging ‘responsible data use’. Now, let’s go back to 2019. The Silicon Valley titan is still there. The song was sung a very different tune, calling fingerprinting ‘wrong’ in a blog post. Many privacy advocates are now enraged by this sudden change of heart.

What is ‘fingerprinting’?

Imagine every keystroke you tap, every video you watch, and every app you open is being quietly observed – It is not clear how to get there. The websites you use every day are not spying on you. This is what fingerprinting looks like: a technique that uses AI to build an accurate profile based on the smallest clues, such as the screen size or battery percentage. The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us..

It’s like having a digital stalker trailing your every online move – without leaving a single cookie crumb behind. You don’t see any pop-ups, there’s no friendly ‘Accept or Reject’ button to click. Once these valuable data are harvested, they can be shared with advertisers, data broker, and others to form a detailed dossier about your online habits.

This means The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us. could be labelled, tracked, and scrutinised anywhere you go on the web – potentially for years – without having As much as tapped ‘I agree’ to any of it. Are you feeling a little paranoid right now? Good. That’s fingerprinting.

Google putting ‘profit over privacy’?

Campaigners furious say that the new rule change cements Google’s dominance because it hooks into personal data which we cannot easily hide or delete.

Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK is not averse to using strong words. It’s not a pretty picture. slammed Google’s new move In a blog post published in December, Google’s “green light” was branded “irresponsible” for allowing fingerprinting.

Regulators say companies must still follow UK data protection rules, a task they reckon is ‘a high bar to meet’ if firms start embracing fingerprinting.

Where does Google leave you with its new policy?

Google’s new privacy policy has ignited a privacy firestorm. Critics are slamming Google for changing the goalposts. Refusing to keep a promise made in 2019 not to use fingerprinting. The company counters by saying that Just aligning with industry practice – and even claims it’s all in the name of safety, not snooping.

Google’s advertising budget is huge and so are the advertisers. You can always contact us. The fingerprinting debate has not been settled. The heat is on, whether you view it as a business as usual or as a brazen intrusion of privacy.

Is Google fingerprinting going too far? You decide.

Original news from around the world in English. Europe.

Google Tags: data security


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About David Sackler

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David Sackler, a seasoned news editor with over 20 years of experience, currently based in Spain, is known for his editorial expertise, commitment to journalistic integrity, and advocating for press freedom.

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