6 posts tagged “google”
After a week where Ask launched AskEraser, a product that allows users to erase their search history, and Google announced a reduction in retained data time from 2038 to 18 months, more privacy initiatives are on their way.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft will officially announce Monday “new policies and technologies to protect the privacy of users of its Live Search services” and Yahoo will announce plans for “a policy to make all of a user’s search data anonymous within 13 months of receiving it.”
The same report goes on to detail plans by Microsoft and Ask to start an “industrywide initiative” to establish standard practices for retaining users’ search histories.
The 4 major search engines with major privacy initiatives in the space of a week and attempts to establish industry wide practices. Privacy would appear to be the new black. But why, and why now?
The Wall Street Journal correctly notes that in part, growing concerns among consumers and privacy groups is driving the move towards improved user privacy. It then goes on to cynically suggest that with Microsoft and Ask it may be a case of the search minnows trying to find a marketing edge over the much larger Google and Yahoo.
A stronger reason lies with Government pressure. In Europe, Google is currently being probed by an Independent EU panel that is investigating possible breaches of EU Privacy Laws. Although the probe is currently focusing on Google, it’s not an unreasonable assumption to make that it could easily be extended to other search companies. The FTC probe into Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick may also consider privacy issues relating to the acquisition along with anti-trust considerations.
No matter the reasons, the steps towards improving user privacy are welcomed. Expect to hear a whole lot more about privacy in the coming weeks and months.
Update: Microsoft has released details of its privacy changes here and its corporate initiative with Ask here.
(image credit: NewSchool)
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I was very pleased to see Google publicly wade into the upcoming FCC auctions for the 700MHz spectrum that will occur early next year. Should all go well, the new spectrum could be used to create a new open-access wireless broadband “pipe” into people’s homes and devices. If things go less well, the existing wireless giants would buy the spectrum and impose similar usage restrictions that exist on cellular networks in the U.S. today, putting us further behind Europe and Asia.
CEO Eric Schmidt sent a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin stating that they would commit to bid at least $4.6 billion in the auctions if four key platform rules are adopted. These rules will define what types of services the winner could offer, and would require third party access to the bandwidth:
- Open applications: Consumers should be able to download and utilize any software applications, content, or services they desire;
- Open devices: Consumers should be able to utilize a handheld communications device with whatever wireless network they prefer;
- Open services: Third parties (resellers) should be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms; and
- Open networks: Third parties (like internet service providers) should be able to interconnect at any technically feasible point in a 700 MHz licensee’s wireless network.
Given the sorry state of the mobile landscape in the U.S., I’d expect the FCC to adopt these pro-consumer rules without any fuss. But the incumbent players, including AT&T and Verizon, are saying they are opposed to open access and may not participate if these rules are adopted. Google’s public move was made to let the FCC (and the public) know that there are companies very happy to bid in an open-access world.
AT&T’s response to Google’s letter was breathtaking in its audacity:
Not satisfied with a compromise proposal from Chairman Martin that meets most of its conditions, Google has now delivered an all or nothing ultimatum to the U.S. Government, insisting that every single one of their conditions “must” be met or they will not participate in the spectrum auction. Google is demanding the Government stack the deck in its favor, limit competing bids, and effectively force wireless carriers to alter their business models to Google’s liking. We would repeat that Google should put up or shut up— they can bid and enter the wireless market with any business model they prefer, then let consumers decide which model they like best.
For anyone who doesn’t look too closely at the issue, AT&T’s response seems very reasonable: keep government regulation out of the spectrum let the market decide which services win. But that isn’t really what would happen at all. If fewer government restrictions are placed on the bandwidth the auction winners will be able to extract more profits at the expense of competitors and consumers. So naturally they don’t want to see open access rules like those recommended by Google. The incumbents also don’t want to see Google play in their sandbox and bidding against them - so they have yet another reason to oppose their proposal.
The FCC has competing goals of maximizing revenue from the auction (suggesting less regulation) and protecting the public (suggesting more rules to force competition). Having open access requirements like those suggested by Google will spur competition and grow an economy around this spectrum. It will also put commercial pressure on mobile operators and broadband companies to reduce the restrictions they have on current broadband and mobile services.
Google isn’t always not evil, but in this case they are going to bat for all of us against some players with pretty bad history when it comes to offering consumer products. I’m behind them on this. And to the FCC: please learn from past mistakes, ignore the lobbyists this time, and do what is in the best interests of the public.
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An interesting story came across my desk today - A “news” site called Axcess News reported that President Bush was undergoing a colonoscopy, leaving Vice President Cheney in charge of the United States for the duration of the procedure.
The article, which was the top story on Google news briefly yesterday, had the unfortunate title “Bush butt probed, Cheney in charge” and began with “A shudder could be felt across Capitol Hill Friday after news came out that President Bush would be having his butt checked out…”
A quick search of Google News shows the story is still indexed. Perhaps Google will now be rethinking whether Axcess News should remain in the Google News index?
Axcess News, by the way, is a member of the esteemed Online News Association, which purports to be a serious group of online news sites. The president of the ONA is Kinsey Wilson, the Executive Editor of USAToday.com.
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Google has announced the acquisition of Clayton, Missouri based ImageAmerica, a company that builds high-resolution cameras for the collection of aerial imagery.
ImageAmerica has previously provided images for Google Maps and Earth, including high-resolution black and white imagery of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
Stephen Chau, Project Manager of Google Maps and Earth said in a statement that Google was excited “about how ImageAmerica’s technology will contribute to [Google’s] mapping services down the road.”
The acquisition price was not disclosed.
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Google’s acquisition spree continued today with the announcement that they’ve purchased Image America, a company that builds “high resolution cameras for the collection of aerial imagery”.
The Clayton, MO-based company provided high resolution black and white imagery of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and supplied imagery to Google Maps and Google Earth. They’re in the R&D stage, and it may be some time before the acquisition bears much fruit, Google cautioned.
Make this Google acquisition number….oh, we lost count a long time ago.
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Google has ended its experimental Google Maps click-to-call feature, according to a Google Groups troubleshooting post.
While the Goog411 is still available to US customers, Google has decided to not move forward with the click-to-call, to the dismay of its most loyal users. Thought of as one of Google Map’s most helpful and innovative services, the click-to-call feature let you search for a location and dial it directly. Maybe someone will do a click-to-call mashup, and incorporate Google Mapplets in some fashion. Nevertheless, Google has implied that it’s working on other features to make Google Maps even better.
[via]
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