各位谷歌/古狗擁躉請注意 ：：attention Google fans

Google is found to be the worst player in the internet business in terms of handling users' privacy, according to a recently released research by Privacy International. Read it HERE. 

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         Google各種超級強力的網上服務向來令人(我)既愛且忌。愛的當然是它的強勁功能，忌的正是強勁功能背後那無孔不入、深入個人私隱/隱私的能耐實在太過驚人。

          長期關注私隱/隱私問題的Privacy International做了一個關於互聯網上各項主要業務/服務的大型研究，近日發表了初步報告 【全文】，把Google排到榜末，列為黑色警告類別，即是侵犯私隱的情況最誇張；連很多人唔順眧的Microsoft，也不過是橙色警告，比Google還要好兩級。

          在批評Google的時候，Privacy International用了一些非常強烈的字眼，譬如說研究過程裡發現Google對私隱問題有「多處缺失和敵意」(numerous deficiencies and hostilities in Google's approach to privacy)，又形容它「愈來愈能夠深入鑽探用者細眉細眼的私人生活和生活方式的選擇」(increasing ability to deep-drill into the minutiae of a user's life and lifestyle choices)。最恐怖的是，報告基本上認為，Google公司內部對私隱的態度，「明目張膽地視之為眼中釘，最無傷大雅的時候是含糊不清」 (at its most blatant is hostile, and at its most benign is ambivalent)。

          報告總括Google在私隱問題上的缺失，包括但不限於以下各點，只能剪貼如下，無時間逐一解釋了：

• Google account holders that regularly use even a few of Google's services must accept that the company retains a large quantity of information about that user, often for an unstated or indefinite length of time, without clear limitation on subsequent use or disclosure, and without an opportunity to delete or withdraw personal data even if the user wishes to terminate the service.
• Google maintains records of all search strings and the associated IP-addresses and time stamps for at least 18 to 24 months and does not provide users with an expungement option. While it is true that many US based companies have not yet established a time frame for retention, there is a prevailing view amongst privacy experts that 18 to 24 months is unacceptable, and possibly unlawful in many parts of the world.
• Google has access to additional personal information, including hobbies, employment, address, and phone number, contained within user profiles in Orkut. Google often maintains these records even after a user has deleted his profile or removed information from Orkut.
• Google collects all search results entered through Google Toolbar and identifies all Google Toolbar users with a unique cookie that allows Google to track the user's web movement.17 Google does not indicate how long the information collected through Google Toolbar is retained, nor does it offer users a data expungement option in connection with the service.
• Google fails to follow generally accepted privacy practices such as the OECD Privacy Guidelines and elements of EU data protection law. As detailed in the EPIC complaint, Google also fails to adopted additional privacy provisions with respect to specific Google services.
• Google logs search queries in a manner that makes them personally identifiable but fails to provide users with the ability to edit or otherwise expunge records of their previous searches.
• Google fails to give users access to log information generated through their interaction with Google Maps, Google Video, Google Talk, Google Reader, Blogger and other services.

          申報利益/冇利益：我自己也有使用Google的幾種產品，常用的包括本網誌、Google Reader(衰貪方便)、Google Search (好難避免)；其次是Calendar、Map、Scholar；儘量少用的是G Mail (個人化廣告太恐怖了)，還有Google Docs & Spreadsheets (我當然有用其他網上文字處理工具)。 絕對抗拒的是Google Desktop，等於把自己電腦內的一切開放任佢武，咪搞。

          我儘可能把東西分開擺放，當係安慰吓自己咁囉。但是數下數下，原來都Google得好多。