My Googled Life

How many people actually realize the extent to which Google has penetrated our lives? I hadn't thought much about how deep it went until recently. And it goes way, way beyond web search. I will illustrate.

First of all, the first fundamental to accept is this: If Google has access to data, there's no reason to assume they aren't accessing, indexing, and profiling YOU using that data, especially since their Terms many times freely admit they are doing this.  And even if you believe that they are not accessing and indexing, if faced with a subpoena, is there a doubt that the data will be handed over to someone who will?  Last, remember that you'll notice a common thread with Google's products and services.  The word *free* will keep popping up.  You need to ask yourself: if Google is giving  away free what others charge for, what do they expect from me in return?

I'll begin with the obvious: Google Search, the de facto leader and starting point in any user's web experience.  Google's search is even more ubiquitous that you may think.  Google offers their search to private websites in the form of Google Site Search - *free* as long as you show their ads.  So, we begin by telling Google what our internet day will be like.


Let's move to Gmail - Google's *free* email service.  I was recently reading an email on my Gmail account when I noticed something strange: an advertisement for a 1) local business 2) that was pushing an obscure kosher product.  Why on Earth - or rather - How on Earth did Google know I was an Orthodox Jew in NYC? Talk about specific!  Could it be because they were parsing my emails and noticed some talking about Jewish topics that other Orthodox Jews with similar profiles also received? Of course it makes sense why Google encourages you with Gmail not to delete emails.  They give you over 7 gigs of storage for that purpose, i.e. keep all emails, and we'll keep targeting you with ads.  Which is why they also offer Google Apps for *free* and give your private domain the full functionality of Gmail. So when you email me @paskie.com, it goes right back to Google.

But that's just the beginning.

You see, like others, I couldn't resist forwarding my cellphone to Google Voice to take advantage of their *free* voicemail transcription - something [just about] all other companies charge hefty sums for.  So I realize now, Google sees who's been calling and what they've been saying to me.

I then went to my desk and started browsing with my browser of choice which in my opinion is the best browser out there: the *free* Google Chrome.  The interesting thing about browsing is this: regardless of what browser I use, Google knows intimately what I'm browsing, when, for how long etc. for one simple reason: The vast majority of websites freely give Google that info in order to use their *free* Google Analytics.  This free tracking tool rivals and exceeds many high-priced competitors and according to Google themselves, provided them with more browsing data in 4 months than they had accumulated in their previous 4 years (from launch!)

It doesn't stop there, though you might wish it had, and even if you didn't identify yet with what I wrote above, perhaps you will with below.

As you move to a mobile phone and  begin to use some of the apps, Big Google is watching. Perhaps you're using Android OS - Google's *free* mobile operating system.  Better switch quickly to an iPhone.  Surely Google's nowhere to be seen now! As you begin using one of the*free* apps,  notice it is ad-supported, and sure enough there's an ad.  Underneath in small letters you may see "ads by AdMob".  Hmmm.. That sounds familiar... Oh yes! Those are the guys that release mobile metrics data! You see, every time you see an ad, that little banner ad sends back data about you and your device to its servers. Something I'm forgetting here.... Oh yes. They were acquired by Google!  (Side note: Google recently released Analytics for Mobile, encouraging all mobile developers to incorporate the tool in their mobile apps, for *free*.)

If you're like me, you may decide to make sure to only use corporate email from here on in.  That guarantees for me that I will be free from Google's prying eyes! The physical server is on my physical domain - there's no way Google can know what the contents of my emails are!! YES!! REDEMPTION!

Wait a minute... SPAM blocking... We use Positini to block our SPAM. How do they block it? Well, essentially all of your email goes first to their servers where they parse them and decide which are real and which are SPAM.  They then send you the "good" emails.  Postini was acquired by... [drumroll] ... Google.

When I decided I may have a story here I realized i needed to put all of my thoughts on a spreadsheet.  I prefer storing my documents in the cloud. It's just easier.  Why not use the *free* Google Docs spreadsheet application and let Google know exactly what's on my mind?!

All of this conspiracy theorizing makes me need a break! I'll take a moment to check my RSS feeds.  These are all of the news feeds from all websites I'm most interested in for one reason or another. What do I use to keep track? Why, the *free* Google Reader of course!

This can go on and on.  I haven't even touched on the *really scary* stuff that Google may know about me like my medical information, (Google Health) what books I read (Google Books), what I watch (YouTube, Google TV), my intimate memories (Picasa),  what I'm purchasing and how much I spend (Google Checkout, Analytics), or where I am (Google Latitude) and where I'm going geographically (Google Maps with geolocation support on desktop and mobile.) 

Now imagine to yourself how you would feel if various companies had access singularly to any of this data about you.  Now imagine it's all controlled by the same company.  Imagine the type of profile they can build about YOU when they cross-reference all of their data! Mind boggling.

Finally, you're reading this all right now on Blogger, a *free* blogging service from, who else, Google.