Skip to main content

Google, Microsoft develop new ways to snoop on you


On its face, this sounds like it should be a relief to many consumers: less tracking, more privacy. But in reality, the opposite may be true, says tech writer Bob Sullivan, author of the book “Gotcha Capitalism.” “You’ll still be getting tracked, and now you’ll be getting tracked more effectively,” says Anthony Mullen, a senior analyst at Forrester Research. It should be noted Google isn’t the only one snooping on Google searches: The NSA has reportedly hacked Google so it can spy on searches.
In fact, the tech giants would use their new systems to harness that tracking data themselves, the Wall Street Journal reports. Facebook’s new ad service places Facebook code on retailers’ sites so that the retailer can put an ad on Facebook’s mobile app. Google will use a unique ID that could help it connect data from users across its suite of products, including Gmail, the Chrome browser, and Android phones, the Journal reports. Microsoft will use a unique identifier to help marketers follow users across the Windows 8 and 8.1 operating system apps on tablets and PCs. Apple already uses a unique ID to help marketers monitor users on its smartphones and tablets, the Journal reports. “It’s a goldmine for companies in terms of personal information,” says Scott Steinberg, CEO and strategic innovation consultant for tech research firm TechSavvy Global. “It will ensure they’re sitting on a well of oil, which they can drill into deeper and deeper with each use of their app, features and services.”

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/google-microsoft-develop-new-ways-to-snoop-2013-10-31?dist=lcountdown

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Communist party launches 'China Operating System' to oust iOS and Android

hina officials have launched a national operating system in an attempt to take back control of the country’s computer market from American companies such as Google and Apple. The software has been in development for more than a year, but has been released at a crucial time with revelations about US-led surveillance sparking fears over the integrity of American-designed software. Known simply as the China Operating System, or COS, the software can run on PCs, tablets and smartphones and has been based on the open-source Linux operating system. Chinese media say that the OS has been created “entirely independently” in order to provide better localization for a range of features – from Chinese-language keyboards, to integration with the country’s banks. At the launch of the event, one of the developers involved with the project reportedly criticized Western software , saying that Apple’s iOS was too closed, that Google’s Android OS suffered from fragmentation (ie, too many versi

Best IELTS and English language training institutions in Hyderabad

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. As the name implies it is basically an English test for testing the proficiency of the language in an individual.  Training for IELTS can be taken to pass the IELTS exam or to develop good english language skills. I am giving the training institute addresses for Hyderabad. The test system is jointly managed by the British Council,IDP education ltd and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations and more than 1 million candidates are taking the exam all over the world. The test has two versions : 1. Academic 2. General training Academic  version is for people who plan to continue their higher education by enrolling in universities in countries like US,UK,Australia,Canada,New Zealand etc.The academic institutions in these countries consider the IELTS score as a criteria for the admission process. General training is mostly for immigration purposes in countries like Australia,New Zealand,Canada etc. It may also be u

How to avoid injurious sitting posture at work? Take care of Ergonomics

The impact of poor consideration of these, as well as other, ergonomic elements can be very hazardous to our  well-being. Some of the effects include increase chances of suffering from carpel tunnel syndrome, decreased eye sight, cramps in our joints, strain from overworking certain muscles and joints,  and decreased blood-flow circulation. Work productivity also decreases when we are in environments that are not designed for proper ergonomics. One other important thing to consider is the lighting levels in the space. I actually did not even think of this as an ergonomic design issue, but it truly is.  Our eye muscles are the most used muscles in our entire body.  We use our eyes in every situation throughout our entire day.  Poor considerations for lighting causes very negative short and long-term effects.  It is recommended that we use mixed levels of lighting in our environments. This allows for multiple options for each user depending on his or her preferences and physical nee