Are Google and Facebook Evil? Maybe it’s ok to be paranoid
Yet we do have enemies who wish to do us harm and nowhere is this truer than when it comes to our privacy with computers and data. Here is it not just ok to be paranoid, but is actually necessary.
In fact, we should be very paranoid about the number of companies that are tracking our every online move, logging our phone calls, text messages, email, and a lot more. Remember when we used to say “I don’t do anything wrong online so I don’t have anything to worry about?” Sadly, those days are long past. In this new era data is king and companies are out to get it any way they can—privacy be dammed.
A few months ago, a friend piqued my interest in this topic with some interesting phrases: Data mining, data oceans, and data brokering. Our lives are technologically different than they were just five years ago and when it comes to personal privacy the news is grim. I wish there were hope at the end of this story and maybe one day there will be, but at the moment we find ourselves in a very vulnerable spot in our fight against those who want to profit from our data.
Most of us want to be in that “Goldilocks” area of “just the right amount” when it comes to on-line use. We want to be able to work, communicate, and enjoy some entertainment. We don’t want to totally live online however, and we certainly want to minimize our exposure to hackers, privacy pirates, and the like. Yet hiding from the bad guys is getting harder no matter what we do and no matter how innocent we think our online behavior might be.
Even those who never venture into the world of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the endless Google apps are in for a rude surprise. Studies show that even if one is extremely careful, it is nearly impossible not to have an online profile. It is even harder to go totally “off the grid” should one wish.
I read a recent report from an IT expert who, just as an exercise, wanted to see if he could escape his past and recreate a new identity that was free from all his previous online life. He found that it is practically impossible for such a step would involve never seeing family, friends, or colleagues again in addition to all the other inconveniences of getting a new Social Security number, driver’s license, and the rest. We have too many footprints in the electronic “snow” just to disappear.
As an example, he suggested that we think of how many people have our names and numbers stored in their phone’s contact list. You might not use a smartphone, but there is enough data about you in other people’s address books to allow a good data miner to zero in on you. Now add in the corporate and governmental agencies that have info about you—you pay taxes, own a home, have a car loan, receive a newsletter from your school, etc. All this means that your name is floating out there in a sea of private and public data.
Now you might protest and say “I have checked what information these data miners have on me at it is completely wrong!” “They show me as a member of a wine society and I do not drink.” “They say I have five children but only have two.” “They say I bought concert tickets online last year but I have never been to a concert so I am not worried as they just don’t know me!”
It is true, I will admit, that there are lots of inaccuracies about us floating around in the data oceans, but the reality is that the data miners, armed with their automated bots (programs), are constantly refining their data sets. They get better each day and so while they might not have an exact profile of you today, check in next year to see the progress they have made.
Experts rightfully argue that we are our own worst enemy by freely giving away our most personal of information. True, we frequently get careless, but at the same time companies demand more and more info just to use their products. This is a particularly Orwellian situation in that we pay a company for a product but then have to give up not only our money but also our privacy in order to use it.
We fail to notice the things that apps want to access when we download them to our phones—such as when an alarm clock app wants entry into our contact lists, camera, microphone, and files. Why does it need access to all that? Yet we gladly click “Agree” anyway because either we do not realize the dangers or we just want to use the app. And don’t think this is an Apple versus Windows versus Android thing—it is every phone and computer!
Have you ever read the End User License Agreements (EULAs) that come with a new computer phone, or gadget? No…nor have I. We think this is just harmless legal language and we believe that free apps are just that—free. This, however, is where trouble starts. These apps are not free of course so where is the cost? Well, quite simply the cost is our privacy and data—data that is then sold with reckless abandon to advertisers, corporations, data collectors, and even governments all over the world. Google and Facebook are nothing more, when you look under the hood, than advertising companies. Sure, they doll it all up with translation programs, maps, cloud storage and the rest, but the way they generate their massive incomes it is based on advertising and you and me are the target.
It is impossible to get away from these intrusions. When I recently purchased a new Samsung phone, I had to use my Google account to start it since the phone runs Google’s Android operating system. What if I did not have a Google account? Tough luck—I would have had to set one up. Now a real tech expert might be able to get around this, but for 99.9% of us Google has their tenterhooks in us before we get the phone to work! Why is it that we now have to be a lawyer or tech expert just to use a phone and a laptop?
I used to think I could outwit the data collectors. I used to turn off my GPS/location unless I needed it, but I discovered that even this step is in vain. Look at the demo on this site ip2location.com to see that your location is, in a general sense, already known through your IP address. Some U.S. telecoms have even installed “super cookies” to help track you. They then sell access to those cookies to 3rd party commercial interests. Yes, it really is that bad that you own Internet Service Provider (ISP) or phone company is selling location and preference data about you.
Worse, you are even being tracked when your phone is just by your bedside at night apparently not doing anything. Trackers and bots are even then as busy as a bee hoovering up data from the apps that are on your phone. I would strongly encourage you to read this article: Data from Phones. Although it pertains mainly to iPhones, I am sure it is true for all makes and models. Prepare to be frightened!
We, dear readers, are now a data product. A product for which companies will pay to learn everything they can about. Don’t fall for their sweet promises that they “anonymize your profile before they pass along data.” Although they technically might not be lying, they should not be trusted.
How good are these data collectors? Well, even Facebook itself has purchased tons of consumer data from them. I know I am giving you a lot to read, but this article The power of data brokers describes the width and breadth of power that these data miners and brokers have: Think of it, if even Facebook buys data from these brokers then you know they are uncovering commercially valuable information about you.
What can be done? While I would hope that a collective movement by the public could force lawmakers to intervene, the reality is somewhat different. Consider how many spam calls you receive on your cell phone. Just putting a stop to that has been difficult and data mining is much more pervasive and intrusive. Solving the problem is not going to happen anytime soon.
The first is to rigorously check the privacy settings that you have on your phone, computers, and applications. Sadly, the default settings leave a great deal open to sharing—some programs even make your camera and microphone available. If you don’t know how to check these settings, immediately find a friend or expert who can give your guidance.
If you use a program like Facebook or Instagram be sure to check their privacy settings. Shockingly, the default settings usually allow the public to see your profile. What an invitation to disaster this is! Think about when people announce to the world on Facebook that they are on vacation. Now the public knows that they are away from home—a ripe target for burglary.
Without delay get a password keeper. There are a number of good ones that are free such as KeePass. This is my one exception to something that is free still being worthwhile. These small programs have proven themselves over and over to be perfectly safe so KeePass is, if you will excuse the pun, a keeper. Others, such as LastPass or 1Pass, charge a nominal fee but are well worth it. You only need to remember one master password and the program will then help you generate, and then store, the ones you need for all your on-line needs. Using the name of your dog as a password no longer cuts it.
Use 2-step authentication when possible. If you use an authenticator program you can even avoid the vulnerabilities associated with text messages. Either way, there is absolutely no reason not to use 2-step authentication for your most critical sites such as banking and finance.
When you search for apps, the ones you pay for are often much more secure. While this is not a complete guarantee of being free from data mining, if the app developer is earning revenue by selling you the software instead of “giving” it to you, it might keep him from selling your data to a data miner.
When you install an app on your device read what it wants to access. If, for example, that alarm clock app I mentioned wants to access your contact list, photos, and files I would immediately smell a rat. A Chief Information Officer told me recently that he simply deleted as many apps as he could live without from his phone—the risk became too great.
Sign onto Google and delete your search history and as much else as you can. This article Deleting Google info, while visually busy, is a good place to start. Again, if you are overwhelmed have a friend or expert help you. Google amasses an incredible mountain of information about you, and just getting rid of the search history is a start. Remember, companies want to know as much about you as they can and what you search for is a top priority to them. While you are at it, start using DuckDuckGo as your search engine—it does not track you.
Data piracy is an intimidating topic but continued ignorance of the problem is not a solution–in fact it is dangerous. Although a number of experts think that privacy is “nearly dead,” I don’t think we should wave the white flag of surrender quite yet. We need to fight back in every way we can lest we are left with no privacy at all.
Today I have only scratched the surface of the pitfalls that lurk in Internet Land. Remember, the bad guys never rest and are always plotting some way to get to your data and use it for their benefit. Don’t be complacent—the easy days are over and now a little paranoia is a good thing.
I hope to return to this subject as we have not even discussed what governments might do with this data…
If you would like to learn more, I recommend the book Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons by Casey Parker. It is easy to read but very helpful. Also, here are 7 steps to help you with your digital privacy: Protecting Privacy.
Should you have any questions, post them in the comment section below and I will try my best to vector you toward an answer. This is serious stuff!
Until then, keep up the fight against data pirates the best you can!
OMG. I’m gonna be busy cleaning up history and changing pass words… Good article.
Thanks for the article, Neal. It’s a topic I’ve been researching lately too and passing on to friends and family.
I’m not sure your writing will help me enjoy the 4th of July holiday!
Really sobering isn’t it Bill? Since I wrote this last month I have come across another half-dozen articles about how intrusive not only apps are, but our ISP and phone companies as well. We pay a lot in the U.S. for internet and cellular service so it is a particularly low blow to have them selling information about us to third parties.