[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Google Accused of Not Being Forthright in Report to Feds here

[SimpleSense]

If privacy is an issue for you, I strongly recommend that you read the article on PCWorld entitled "Protect Our Data! A Digital Consumer Bill of Rights" written by Mark Sullivan and to send a letter to your elected officials asking for those rights.

[LiveBrianD]

Don't businesses already look at people's Facebook profiles to try to determine things like insurance and jobs? That's why I don't use FB (and if I wanted to, I could use some fake info so they won't figure out who it is). If you hate google's tracking, use Ghostery (or NoScript) and block 3rd party cookies. As for the screenwise program, it's completely optional. I doubt I'll participate in it, and if I do, keep in mind that I do all my web surfing in Firefox so they won't get any information from me anyway. That said, I would like to see exactly what data they have managed to collect from me (probably nothing recently, since I don't use social networking and I block tracking cookies and scripts). Too many people are clueless about this.

[Mattvm8v]

If Google made that Screenwise add-on for Firefox I'd consider using it. The problem is some people get completely paranoid. Worrying is fine after all it is your data but some people get completely paranoid that it's sickening.If Google took credit card numbers eventually it would come out and they'll not only be shut down but their founders would be in prison. So they aren't gonna take that kinda data and risk jail. Anonymous data really shouldn't bother anyone. Who cares if people know what sites you go to as long as the info isn't personal information like log-in information or credit card numbers and stuff like that?

Are you guys doing something illegal that you'd get in trouble if the government found out like watch child porn or something?

[ErinN]

Google may be going to "exceptional lengths" to tell its users what data it gleans about them and what the company does with it." What Google also fails to mention is that they know the average user won't read any of it.

I've read the new policiy and get this...

The only way to "opt-out" is to not login to ANY of their services!

Starting March 1, as soon as you login to any ONE of their services, you give them permission to get and use ALL your information from every Google service you use, from Gmail to Search (they have 70 services!).

Google owes every user a fully informed opt-in process, including a clear explanation of the downsides in everyday speak. That's why this petition was started on change.org...

http://chn.ge/wXWroM

"the company is saying precious little about behavioral scoring, a practice that someday could result in banks judging people's credit worthiness based on who they associate with online, or health insurance companies dropping people's coverage based on social media posts they make regarding their health."

If that possibility isn't scary I don't know what is.

The only way to protect yourself is to be informed and make your voice heard.