Comments on: Google Dashboard: Will You Need a Warrant for That?

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:28:15 +0000

MediaCurves.com conducted a study among 295 viewers of a news clip featuring Google’s new Dashboard, which allows users to view information about their previous searches. Results found that that more than one-third of viewers (38%) reported that they will use Google’s search engine less frequently after learning of the feature. Among the viewers who reported that they would use Google less, more than half (52%) reported that they would use Yahoo as their alternative search engine. Furthermore, nearly half of the viewers (48%) stated that they were “not at all comfortable” with search engine companies monitoring and collecting data from their searches.
More in depth results can be seen at:
http://www.mediacurves.com/NationalMediaFocus/J7621-GoogleData/Index.cfm
Thanks,
Ben

By: Brett Glass

Brett Glass — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:10:49 +0000

What’s scary is that Google refuses to provide the information it has gathered about users’ browsing via DoubleClick spyware cookies. It knows a lot more about you than that “dashboard” shows! Google also attempts to pinpoint your location…. How does it feel to be stalked by a monopolistic corporation?

I, for one, have already seen way too much. Google needs to be prohibited from maintaining dossiers on every Internet user.

By: Harsh Agrawal

Harsh Agrawal — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:55:35 +0000

Atleast I find it good..
I dont remember how many Google services I have signedup and now I have a
admin space from where I can see and control all my stuff associated with Google.

By: Hillary

Hillary — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:54:17 +0000

This is brilliant move by google again. i had a chance to experience this tool today morning and was amazed. while browsing i had some doubt which bothered me …what if some ones hacks the user access? will it not let my whole information let out ?

By: Paul Jacobson

Paul Jacobson — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:09:32 +0000

I was going to make the same point. The video Google released about Dashboard does indicate that you still need to log in when you access Dashboard, even if you are logged in to the other services.

By: Google Dashboard: Will You Need a Warrant for That? « RECLAIM (.org) AMERICA

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:36:16 +0000

[...] via Google Dashboard: Will You Need a Warrant for That? . [...]

By: Google Dashboard: Find Out What Google Knows About You

Google Dashboard: Find Out What Google Knows About You — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:02:53 +0000

[...] that Google is starting to know a bit too much about you, you might be interested to find out that Google has released Google Dashboard, a window onto the data that Google stores about your accounts. All you need to do is go to [...]

By: Pinoy Tutorial

Pinoy Tutorial — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:56:09 +0000

To some – google dashboard could be a handy tool for their busy life, but to a geek who work in total privacy this could be a real threat to their security – As said from the mouth of Microsoft CEO

“Google reads your gmail account once in a while” when you’re under scrutiny.

detailed review: http://bit.ly/google-dashboard-biggest-spy-of-BIG-G

somebody call detective now

By: TimB

TimB — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:55 +0000

I think having privacy concerns is legitimate. But I think that Google having personal information is more valuable for them to *keep* than to sell to someone else. Besides there are marketing-oriented companies that have been collecting personal information about us for years. With that, and the once-a-year or so data breach from banks, credit card vendors, etc – I think there are a lot more places deserving of our worry than Google.

By: Logical Extremes

Logical Extremes — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:37:21 +0000

Yes, it should be harder to get to master account data. I did have to re-enter my password, but rarely need to do so to get to individual services once I’m logged in.

I haven’t seen anything jump out at me from the dashboard that wasn’t already available within two clicks of the “My Account” page [https://www.google.com/accounts/ManageAccount] before. But it is a positive sign that Google is making it easier, and hopefully it will be a wake-up call to some people about how many data eggs they have in one basket.

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:16:03 +0000

You don’t have to use google at all. Their services are free, they have close to a monopoly, but there are alternatives for all the google apps, and you can use YouTube without logging in to a user name, or create another one. am I perplexed? How do you get Google to track your use if you don’t use GMail, Google search, Google Maps…??? or just don’t log on to a google user name?

By: Hugh Isaacs II

Hugh Isaacs II — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:59:15 +0000

“I suggest that Google at least force you to log in each and every time you want to access it. That way folks would at least have to ask you before getting your data.”

Yeah, they do that.

By: Alexander Ainslie

Alexander Ainslie — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:51:18 +0000

This post from Ben Metcalf (@dotBen) provides more context around the security risk posed by Google’s “universal password” model: My GMail password scares me with its power! http://bit.ly/17MB6f

By: Indrajeet

Indrajeet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:48:01 +0000

Stacey, even if you are logged in, you still need to enter your password when you visit Google Dashboard. Same goes for Google Search History Page.

By: Niraj

Niraj — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:43:23 +0000

This is all new from the perspective of those that don’t enable their web history…pretty interesting and it’s nice to see everything summarized by service.

“Now all it takes is an unguarded laptop and Google Dashboard.”

I’d argue if you’re that worried about your data, you’re not going to stay logged in when you leave a computer. If you are always logged in or somebody uses your password to access the page, they’re not going to find anything on the dashboard page that they couldn’t find out by just clicking across Google’s services with the same credentials, since it’s all a single sign-on. It may be surprising because of the fact that it’s all showing up on one page now, but this isn’t really adding any new privacy concerns that the “single account for all services” didn’t already conjure up.

By: eideard

eideard — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:42:03 +0000

Spin? We’re supposed to require Google to force us to act with self-concern and care?

I already have enough contempt for nanny-states offline. Don’t need a few more online.