(Reenactment photo: characters were changed to protect their identities)
Google quietly dropped it’s motto ‘Don’t Be Evil‘ back in 2009 just before they were busted for illegally collecting personal data through wi-fi connections under the guise of ‘Streetview technology’. And try to forget Google’s ‘secret’ involvement with the National Security Agency (NSA) when digesting this recent data collection episode:
(Daily Intel) “Doodle-4-Google” is so much more than an art contest. Sure, the game, which received 33,000 entries last year, celebrates “the creativity of young people” by having them send in a drawing under the theme “What I’d like to do someday …” But, there’s another component, as well. It also helps Google collect some very personal data on students K through 12. Along with the submission, the contest’s initial Parent Consent Form asked for the child’s city of birth (not current city, mind you), date of birth, the last four digits of the child’s social security number, as well as complete contact info for the parents. Bob Bowdon, who directed The Cartel, a documentary about corruption in the public-school system explained the significance:
You see what Google knows and many parents don’t know is that a person’s city of birth and year of birth can be used to make a statistical guess about the first five digits of his/her social security number. Then, if you can somehow obtain those last four SSN digits explicitly — voila, you’ve unlocked countless troves of personal information from someone who didn’t even understand that such a disclosure was happening.
If the information Google culled from the contest was linked with other databases to target ads, it could prove lucrative for the company, which enlists promotional help from schools by offering prize money. But Bowdon says he has no evidence that Google has used what it learned for marketing purposes. Not to mention the fact that statistical guessing seems more manpower intensive than the type of passive data collection Google usually prefers (oh, hey there, Street View camera). However, within 26 hours of alerting the FTC, Google updated its consent form eliminating the request for the last four digits of the kid’s social security number but leaving in the question about birth city. Okay, class. Who wants to send in a doodle under the theme “Be sort of evil until someone figures it out”?
For Google’s response, go: HERE
Google’s ‘secret’ relationship with the NSA: HERE
Gay Google: HERE
Google, owners of YouTube, have a special announcement for everyone today…
A couple of illustrators managed to raise more than eyebrows this Veteran’s day. Google was accused of an ‘emerging Islamic crescent moon’ behind the American flag (see below) which may be a stretch. But Jim Davis’ Garfield strip… Sheesh!
Considering Garfield cartoon illustrations are reviewed by some of Jim Davis’ 50-member staff, including artists and licensing administrators, and are then distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, and then reviewed by national publishing editors… guess it was ‘National Stupid Day‘ for some folk.
(Reuters) The creator of the widely syndicated comic “Garfield” has apologized for a strip that ran on Veterans Day that some critics saw as making fun of the holiday honoring those who served in the U.S. military.
Thursday’s strip showed a spider warning the comic’s featured cat, the lazy and overweight Garfield, that if the feline “squishes” him, an annual day of remembrance will be held in his honor.
The cartoon drew such Internet comments as “Surely this isn’t in the best of taste for Armistice Day/Veterans Day” and that Garfield creator Jim Davis “is way off the mark with this cartoon. Shame on him.”
Google search = political power. Google’s secret relationship – now revealed – with NSA involves more than collecting ‘streetviews‘ in your neighborhood. Besides illegally collecting personal data through your wifi connection, Google has supplied core search technology for Intellipedia, a highly-secured online CIA system.
(Politico) Google’s aggressive tactics have put it on top of the business world, and now the Internet giant is looking to leverage the high profile and sterling connections of its CEO to achieve similar power in the political sphere.
Google boss Eric Schmidt is one of the nation’s most politically active business leaders — a man who uses the cachet of the company he leads, as well as his own charisma, to build strategic alliances in the Obama administration and on Capitol Hill.
Schmidt’s newly formed friendships in town have helped transform Google from a D.C. outsider into an Obama administration darling with growing clout in policy circles.
Schmidt has worked to forge relationships with a number of key members of Congress, giving generously to their campaigns and attending their fundraisers.
He recently hosted fundraisers for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.). This year, he’s written $4,800 checks to both Senate Democrats from New York, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.
Read more: HERE
More Google ‘StreetView‘ trouble: HERE
Google pushes their gay and lesbian agenda — a true leader for the alternative lifestyle movement. To show their support, benefits (funds) will be awarded to same-sex couples working at their company.
(New York Times) Working for a company as rich as Google comes with an incredible number of fringe benefits: the company is about to introduce another set of benefits that pushes the envelope — this time, geared toward its gay and lesbian workers.
On Thursday, Google is going to begin covering a cost that gay and lesbian employees must pay when their partners receive domestic partner health benefits, largely to compensate them for an extra tax that heterosexual married couples do not pay. The increase will be retroactive to the beginning of the year.
Read more: HERE
Google is running neck and neck (yuk) with the military in this race: HERE
