Google is fat--what's wrong with that?
Google has taken the first tentative step towards voluntarily giving up future marketing advantages in favor of their customers' privacy. It's a big move for Google who has quickly become privacy's kryptonite. Their announcement, while short in details, appears to indicate that they will strip precision out of their customers' stored IP addresses after 18-24 months as well as do something about Google stored cookies on peoples' personal computers.
This has the look of a hastily arrived at decision because they did the press release before they changed the privacy policy on their website.
What's this mean? It means that Google is finally getting worried--no, not about our privacy. They are getting worried about subpoenas for all of that juicy data they're tucking away. Like an oiled fat man beach-browning on a desert island and suddenly noticing the hungry gaze of his fellow castawawys, Google has become too tasty to peacefully coexist with its community and may be worth more to many, dead.
I don't for a moment believe that they're doing this out of altruism, but self-preservation. And I guess that's okay with me for now.
Posted on March 15, 2007
