[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Should The FTC Investigate Google's Safari Gaffe? here

[Kilzna43zk]

The problem with all this is that it comes from a work around instituted by webkit/Safri, not Google.

https://bugs.webkit....ug.cgi?id=35824

[YensProodi]

Where is the outrage?

**crickets**

[durantimbodenu566]

First of all, Google wasn't the only company that used this workaround. So if this is a genuine "privacy" issue, other offenders also need to be held accountable.

Second, we need to ask ourselves what Apple's motives were in making it harder for logged-in users of Google and other non-Apple services to enjoy those services while using Safari. Should Apple be investigated--and possibly penalized--for anti-competitive behavior?

Bottom line: We need to figure out what this flap really is about: privacy or antitrust.

[BillyVierra]

The issue here really is not with Google but directly with apple. Reading over the bug that they had for web kit, they broke site functionality (and knew they did) in the name of privacy and at the same time left a work around.

If anything, the FTC should investigate Apple for false advertising of this 'feature'. You cannot blame anyone for using a work around provided by the developer because you felt the developer did not mean for it to be used this way.

[MikeLiese]

Buzz - Feb 2010
Google Street view - May 2010
Kenya - January 2012
Safari - February 2012....

How exactly is this "inside of 12 months?"

[BillyVierra]

dannySk, on 20 February 2012 - 07:49 AM, said:

Mistake? I think google is strong enough to take the data and after, make excuse and says it's a mistake.
I don't understand why they do that, it's too much, social networks like www.outlyf.com don't need to do that! I want privacy!

That is the issue we are having, people do not understand what is being done or why by either party, however they (Congress) wants to attack one company that used the work around and not all of them and on top of that they are not attacking the company that instituted the work around (Apple).

[PercivalMerriwether]

Google philosophy: It's better to beg forgiveness, than to ask for permission.

[Swift2001]

Ridiculous defense by Google. Look, Apple provided me with the ability to not be left cookies by third parties. It worked for a long while, but then Google used a hacker's tools, not to give me something I wanted, but to disregard my stated preference and show me ads. Making money is Google's game, period, and privacy or individual preferences be damned.

Even Apple haters have to see that.

[Swift2001]

Kilzna43zk, on 20 February 2012 - 08:23 AM, said:

The problem with all this is that it comes from a work around instituted by webkit/Safri, not Google.

https://bugs.webkit....ug.cgi?id=35824

The "workaround" was for the purpose of filling in forms. It was not for the purpose of selling me something or putting a tracking cookie on my browser. Google fanboy.

[Swift2001]

As I understand it, a "security researcher" wrote a paper about the bug. Google was among the first of the companies to use a hacker's tools, just as nasty as a malware author, to ignore the security settings you have. What if I go out on the web and don't want your advertisers -- and anybody else you sell access to -- to track me, as I stated in my prefs?

[ReadandShare]

A company that depends on advertising to an overwhelming degree could be expected to be extremely vigilant at finding new ways to collect information -- while giving low priority to the risk of "over collecting".

Do I trust Google (or Facebook, etc.) to do the right thing in terms of giving appropriate respect to people's privacy? No, not really.

[ReadandShare]

durantimbodenu566, on 20 February 2012 - 09:01 AM, said:

Bottom line: We need to figure out what this flap really is about: privacy or antitrust.

I don't see the two as mutually exclusive at all. Could well be both.

[Swift2001]

Um, a brief search (on Google) shows that all browsers allow users to block third party cookies, it's just the default value in Safari, which made it the target of an immoral company that sells ads and therefore lies its ass off as its business model.

Yes, there is, in the company of Google, a tremendous failure to respect boundaries. They did much the same with books and music. They didn't arrange an acceptable deal with this publisher, with that, and go about putting together their incredible work on scanning world literature -- good -- but let it fester because they paid no attention to authors at all. Understand, I was on the side of getting books in the cloud, and old books should be free -- but Google just walks in, takes your stuff, and then wonders what they did that was wrong. It's that way with music and TV. It's why Google TV is a hot mess. It's the company DNA. They're headed for a monopoly and a break-up.

[riddlemethis]

Swift2001, on 20 February 2012 - 12:36 PM, said:

As I understand it, a "security researcher" wrote a paper about the bug. Google was among the first of the companies to use a hacker's tools, just as nasty as a malware author, to ignore the security settings you have. What if I go out on the web and don't want your advertisers -- and anybody else you sell access to -- to track me, as I stated in my prefs?

then don't sign into Google.... pretty simple.

[bignumone]

PercivalMerriwether, on 20 February 2012 - 10:02 AM, said:

Google philosophy: It's better to beg forgiveness, than to ask for permission.

That is EXACTLY what came to my mind. I actually scanned the comments to see if anyone else was thinking the same thing.
I am just SHOCKED at the number of people coming to Google's defense! They have a real PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR here, and it is about time they are called to the carpet for it.

And if it is at all obvious that they ignored people's privacy for profit...which it looks like to me...they should be fined heavily.

Those of you coming to arms for them should think about where path they are cutting will take us. (When I say us, I mean ALL of us)

[bignumone]

riddlemethis, on 20 February 2012 - 01:36 PM, said:

Swift2001, on 20 February 2012 - 12:36 PM, said:

As I understand it, a "security researcher" wrote a paper about the bug. Google was among the first of the companies to use a hacker's tools, just as nasty as a malware author, to ignore the security settings you have. What if I go out on the web and don't want your advertisers -- and anybody else you sell access to -- to track me, as I stated in my prefs?

then don't sign into Google.... pretty simple.

I kind of agree, don't use the product if they offend you. But Google has become so big and has fingers in so many pies, it is nearly impossible to be on the web or to find web content with-out using Google. This statement reminds me alot of the people who say "If you don't like (US) law, leave!". It can lead to real "statist" thinking.
But if you don't like my opinion on it, don't read it!

[thewazak]

When are folks just going to accept that Google is an Internet cancer - run by greedy megalomaniacs that need to be stopped.

[ChrisBeattie]

"Don't be evil" is an informal Google company motto that came about in part as a jab at competitors who they believed were exploiting their users...Google maybe it is time to leave out the "Don't" in your motto?

This post has been edited by ChrisBeattie: 20 February 2012 - 04:10 PM

[jazzy007]

The deal here is that both companies are at fault. One to control everything they do (Apple) and the other trying to exploit every opportunity to gather data from people.

The most serious for me is Google breaking the law or people trust and saying "I don't know..." This could go once, maybe twice but not as many occasion as Google have done. There is a pattern in this, reinforce with the China debacle and been kit out of China. Google will do anything and I mean anything to get your data, information your life for their purpose.

If anyone believe that Microsof is evil or Apple is bad, they are looking the wrong way. Google is the evil one with a face of an Angel, saying "Do not do evil". Google was in the search business, but now is to get you. Google+, Google X, Google Video player, Google Chrome, Google Checkout, Google Orkut, Google Jaiku, Google Buzz, Google Creator, Google Wave, Google SearchWiki, Google Notebook, etc, etc, etc. There are so many more that I might never finish listing them all. The point they have try and still trying to copy or emulate any given service out there. Android vs IPhone, Chrome OS vs Windows, Google+ vs Facebook. They try to do everything (and not very good at it) but the main purpose is to get your data.