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Google's opt-out village

Posted by: Douglas MacMillan on August 12, 2009

Google is omnipresent on the Web. And it’s gathering new data about us each day. Sometimes, it feels like the only way of escaping the watchful eye of Google would involve moving to some remote mountain village with no electricity.

That’s the premise of this spoof video from the folks at The Onion. The bogus news report details Google’s new “Opt Out Village,” which offers anyone concerned about their online privacy a van ride to a boxed enclosure on the side of mountain with no computers, hospitals, or banks. Anyone is free to leave, but only after getting a “G” branded on their forehead, “labeling them doubters.”

The payoff line is delivered by a fake Google executive:

If you don’t want to give us access to your most private thoughts and feelings, that’s fine. You can just toil in the hinterlands and die young.


Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy By Moving To Remote Village

It’s great satire, because fears of Google becoming too big and too involved in our online lives are becoming more common. The company is the subject of at least three federal investigations probing its position in the marketplace. And members of Congress are exploring the possibility of regulating the ability of Google and other companies to target ads to individual users based on their past behaviors.

To Google’s credit, the company is allowing users to opt out of some of its ad targeting without having to toil in the hinterlands. On its Google Privacy Center page, Web users can click a single button to remove “cookies” or behavior-tracking software from their computers that’s used to serve ads tailored to them.

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Reader Comments

Michael Seese

August 12, 2009 11:03 PM

Oh, but why can't we have opt-IN, like our European brethren? That way, it would take a conscious effort to be tracked and annoyed, rather than being tracked and annoyed by default.

-- Michael Seese, CISSP, CIPP
author of Scrappy Information Security

Cierra Freeman

August 13, 2009 07:34 PM

So, I began reading this article as a project for school and am realizing this is great that you've started this. Keep it up! BTW, luv Michael's comment!

Balsa Plankford IV

August 14, 2009 06:06 AM

I would yes to village?

wellington silva

August 19, 2009 01:05 PM

PROJECT IN BRAZIL BUILDING WITHOUT THE NEED FOR NATURE

You could extend your hand to a Brazilian?

Agreda.
Respect for nature!

You can help us achieve this dream?
Help us to spread this request to other pages on the internet.

Hello,

If possible, we need your assistance (donations) for this project where we want to build a house in the City of ecologically correct Pirambu - Sergipoe - Brazil.
I am Brazilian, living in the city of Aracaju - Brazil.
I have an excellent land in the tourist town of Pirambu, coastal town located 32 km. in Aracaju, Sergipe - Brazil.
Want to use my land to build a house in this area ecologically correct to show the man who can build good and beautiful places on the coast, without harming the nature.
I want to do this project, a reference in the region (Northeastern Brazil), to show the regional community and, if possible at all Brazilian who can build houses to live without the need to harm nature.
For this we need your valuable assistance in the realization of this dream (project).
I need donations, may be of material Ecological building the house, or money to buy the material for construction.
Our commitment to you is to inform you if you want the whole progress of the construction of the house until its final conclusion.
I invite you to participate in this project but will have little but their importance for the good of nature.
Let's show the man who can and should respect nature and we can build without the need to harm the environment.

For those who have help us, tell the data below the bank for donations.

BANCO DO BRASIL
AGENCY 0017-7
CURRENT ACCOUNT 16880-7
ON BEHALF OF WGLCAR Wellinton Silva

Your help has two purpose the realization of our dream to build the house proper, and while this home will refeencia to show the Northeast of Brazil and perhaps for all of Brazil, we can live in well with nature without necessiade of agredila .

Sinceramenmte their collaboration will be important to realize this dream, your donation may be 1 cent or $ 1 million dollars, the important and your participation in the realization of this dream and know that every brick for this house, has your participation too.
Thank you to everyone who helped and those who might not have had more help the good intention.
Wellington Silva
City of Pirambu-Sergipe - Brazil
55793041-0111

Wellington Silva

August 22, 2009 09:46 PM

Correction of data receipts for donations.
Bank of Brazil
Agencia 0017-5
Current Account 16880-7
> alterar

Wellington Silva

August 24, 2009 07:30 AM

You can extend your hand for this project in Brazil?
Correction of data receipts for donations.
Bank of Brazil
Agencia 0017-5
Current account 16880-7

Thank you.
Keepitsurreal
Suni Project-Sergipe-Brazil

Danny Piedra and Jeffry Pizarro

August 25, 2009 05:07 PM

is great that you've started this. Keep it up! :D

Jose Marcos

August 25, 2009 05:47 PM

Less ads less problems to gooogle and other sites.

King David

August 31, 2009 09:05 AM

Google is the greatest tool a small businss owner can have to access the resources Google offers. Tell me of another site with the immense capacity to create business that Google provides? It is a wonderland for entrepreneurs. Go Google go!!

Chicago Business Blog
www.winnerwinnerwinner.blogspot.com

Thank you for your interest. This blog is no longer active.

 

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In Blogspotting Senior Writer Stephen Baker and Associate Editor Heather Green take a look at how cutting-edge technologies are changing business and society. Whether its blogs or wikis, data crunching or data targeting, technology’s advances are reshaping the world that we live in.

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