Evil is as 3vi1 Does - Google's Latest Assault on Privacy

It’s Evil is as 3vi1 Does, all over again.

I’ve been using Anonymizers port-forwarding proxy server for years. As I’ve changed ISP’s over the years, I’ve seen no reason to leave a trail of every site I’ve ever visited so that they could sell the information to marketers or get it stolen by some random discontent sysadmin who decides to go into spamming, full time, or any of a million other common and growing abuses of such information.

Today, when I logged into Google, here’s what happened.

Surfing normally, PRIVACY: ON

Click on Personalized Home and get …

Fill in the code and get …

Surfing in the clear, PRIVACY: OFF

Click on Personalized Home and get …

It’s Evil is as 3vi1 Does, all over again.

As shown, so long as I have my usual PRIVACY ON, Google says I’m a threat and locks me out of my “Personalized Home.” When I turn PRIVACY OFF, it lets me in.

The entire rest of the web works just fine with PRIVACY ON, including my e-banking, brokerage accounts, and all kinds of sensitive information sites. Somehow, I do not feel like there is more at risk on my Google Personalized Home page than there is at ETrade or Bank of America, yet Google is effectively taking away my right to privacy by shutting me out of my supposedly personal (private?) web site.

Sure it’s a conspiracy theory, but who doesn’t like a good conspiracy theory? So, just wait until the GoogleNet includes all the dark fiber in the world and they decide to tell you that, “hey, it’s OUR network … if you want to use it, it’s our way or the highway, champ.”

Think it can’t happen? If you do see it happening, what are you DOING about it?

You can start simply by using Yahoo, MSN, Ask.com, or ANYTHING ELSE but Google, whenever possible.