Be very wary of Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc...

You probably won't have to ever worry about ATS but websites like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo are releasing "transparency reports" which has happened a few times in the past, but now they are doing so because the scandal has become so big that they fear that they will be losing their customers.

What are their plans? Their plans is to go via Verizon route and charge the government for information. Why's that? Because if they claim that they are working hard to block the government from cracking their software, people will regain trust but by law these companies must comply with the government no matter what. However they could sell the user's data as part of the cost to retrieve the information.

That means that they can look good to the general public and regain their trust while selling their info in the back like they do with businesses. The government is a business in their own right so it won't really change a thing. If they do get caught again however, Google could potentially tank completely because they would have effectively lied again and again to us, or at least deceived.

This isn't just Google that people should be worried about, but they are the biggest name in the industry and people should not trust them with their private information. Browsing habits constitutes as private information, don't forget that. I hope this little warning is useful to at least some people here.

Thanks for the warning.

But already wary of them, also already weary of them.

reply to post by Chamberf=6
I wanted to star you twice you twice

reply to post by the2ofusr1


I took care of the extra star...

OP - do you mean "WARY"? Or WEARY? You can still change the title if you hurry....

I take the attitude that there is no privacy on the internet and that whatever I do can be traced, tracked or monitored.

I trust big companies as much as I trust the Pope in a playground.

Just want to say there are issues with this site that worry me just as much as those others you mention.

reply to post by Em2013


I read stuff like this and I sigh.

The government is who you need to be worried about.

Google and company are collateral damage in the "war on terrorism"

They don't have a choice in the matter. Either they comply with the government or shut down.
Those are their options.

reply to post by Em2013


ATS uses tracking programs as well. Chartbeat, for one.Even if ATS itself doesn't send your crap out, Chartbeat and the other programs embedded into this site do, for sure.

I hurried and fixed the title. Success!

reply to post by SaltireWarrior

I take the attitude that there is no privacy on the internet and that whatever I do can be traced, tracked or monitored.

I trust big companies as much as I trust the Pope in a playground.

You have good instincts my friend!

Hmm.... I wonder if ATS has or will sell your info for a bag of money?

wildtimes
reply to post by the2ofusr1

 

I took care of the extra star...

OP - do you mean "WARY"? Or WEARY? You can still change the title if you hurry....

OP meant "wary" not "weary."

OP meant to say "Be cautious / suspicious of these companies." Not "Be tired of these companies."


wear·y
ˈwi(ə)rē/
adjective

1. feeling or showing tiredness, esp. as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep.



war·y
ˈwe(ə)rē/
adjective


1. feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.



Probably two of the most commonly confused words in the language. To simplify for the future, think of it like this:


Weary (with the "e") = tired

Wary (with no "e") = suspicious

Why don't we need to worry about ATS?

Google, Yahoo, etc, are not voluntarily giving your information to government. This means that if the government or LE sends an information request to ATS, they are just as likely to hand over your details.

One should be wary of EVERY online outlet where they share "radical" opinions.

As a software engineer I know that anyone with the ability to write a 'simple' web-crawler can collect very large quantities of data on anyone on the internet whenever they want without much effort.

This being said; 'they' are guaranteed to have hundreds if not thousands of people working on this exact effort - extracting your personal information, and analyzing your sentiment on sites quite like this one.

It would take me a matter of hours ( by myself... ) to write a bit of software that determined everyone's tags ( on ATS ) and then went out and retrieved any information relevant to said tags - and then recursively retrieve information based on what was initially found. It would take minutes to execute.

In my 'professional' opinion - it's not a matter of being concerned with the big companies, as much as being concerned with exactly what it is that you're sharing, posting, or viewing in the first place. If you have concern that you are being 'tracked'... Well you are. We all are. The question is whether or not you draw any red flags to yourself that can automatically be detected. You'll note in this post that there isn't much 'finger-pointing' or much explanation of my own sentiment on the topic; but I'm sure that you can all assess my stance fairly accurately.

How DARE you malign my googles in such an outrageous manner.

I demand *removes glove one finger at a time*

satisfaction! *slaps OP with said glove*

Good day sir, I shall not even have such folly uttered in public. Desist and cease, post haste.

*are they still looking? no? run away run away they're evil, they're doing evil*