As an android user, I have recently become familiar with the benefits of Google Now. The cards on my phone serve up relevant information before I even ask for it. The other day, I recieved an alert telling me a flight was delayed before I went onto the United website to check its status. Actually, how did Google even know I had a flight? Well, my email had the confirmation for the ticket purchase, which included the flight number, time, airport, etc. Not only did I get the alert saying I was delayed, but Google then told me when I should be leaving for the airport and how long it would take.
Flipping through other cards on my phone screen I saw cards on searches I had been doing desktop, an ad for a dress I'd left in the shopping cart on my work computer, the latest Yankees game score, and a map telling me that I was 23 minutes to my home by train and 5 minutes from m my office.
This is all incredibly useful, but it also highlights just how much Google knows about me. From reading my gmail, seeing all of my photos on Picasa, to knowing what I search, what I read, what I buy and how I engage with the internet, Google knows almost everything. It's recent acquisition of Nest means that Google even knows what temperature I set my thermostat to each night.
This wealth of information Google has on me helps it to customize my experience with the search engine, and the plethora of businesses that it owns. While I appreciate the functionality, I cannot help but feel a bit exposed. Google knows more about most people than their spouse does. That level of access is what allows Google to provide such good quality, relevant products and services to consumers. However, access to that data is a priveledge and not a right. The real question is what is Google doing to protect the data on its users? What steps is Google taking to ensure that their own employees do not abuse that priveledge?
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