“Whom would you trust more with your private data: the NSA, a company like Google, or your mom?” Chris Matyszczyk reports for CNET. “I ask because I’m looking at the results of a survey, conducted between October 9 and 12, that asked just that.”
“The results went like this. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being ‘I am shivering uncontrollably with fear’) the idea of Google or a similar concern having access to all your private data got a concerned score of 7.39,” Matyszczyk reports. “The idea of the NSA having its eyes and hands all over you? 7.06. What about your boss snooping? That merited a mere 6.85. While the notion of your parents knowing it all got a 5.93.”
Of the options open to the respondents, they were most relaxed about their spouse or significant other seeing their everyday warts,” Matyszczyk reports. “This idea scored a mere 4.55.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Macgadget” for the heads up.]
People trust the NSA more than Google because Google IS the NSA with adds.
The NSA may have tried to get more info then they should. While I’m not happy about it and I think it needs some serious oversite, I do think they ultimately want to stop ne’er-do-wells with that info. Also, we the people still have a modicum of coltrol when it comes to the government. If enough of us come together and demand someing change, there comes a point when changes in government must occur. Google is a for profit company. While they do have share holders, they are under no obligation to listen to the general public. What Google does, they do to make money. At least the NSA does it in part to protect us.
I agree with you except here:
“Also, we the people still have a modicum of control when it comes to the government.”
Really? Pick someone you think should be in government office at the national level. Help them get elected. Let me know – I’ll vote for them, too, because I’m against anyone who has made their way up through the ranks enough that I would vote for *any* reasonable candidate (that I don’t even really know) ahead of them.
Pull that off, *then* you can say we have some control still.
The truth is it ceased to be a government of the people ages ago with it started requiring big fund raisers to get elected. It is all about who you know and who knows you now. It has nothing to do with “the people” electing you, or even approving of you.
Keep in mind, I said if enough of us come together. It would have to be something that most of us really cared about. Imagine if 10-20% (30-60 million) of us all came together and demanded more oversight on the NSA. What if it was 30-40%? It would not be easy but I think there would be a change. Obviously we don’t care about it enough.
Brilliant!!!
My comment was to MacDan. Thanks your is brilliant!
boy, that is some mis-placed confidence.
but it is no secret to anyone with a suitably active set of wits to realize that the nsa can just sit back and let google and facebook do most of their work for them.
use those sites and you contribute to slitting your own privacy throat. not a good trade off in my book.
all the more reason to stay away from both companies.
I am in the minority as I believe the biggest threat to security is the US Government. With Google, one has to use their services for Google to get your data. The US Government on the other hand is going to spy on ALL American citizens and truthfully everyone else it can. Google is like a Girl Scout selling “cookies’ compared to the US Government. I can avoid Google.
Geez, I need a new keyboard after I spit up my coffee reading that people trust the NSA more than Google.
Here’s the deal, both the NSA and Google are totally untrustworthy. However, the NSA, aka, your government, can do very bad things to you that Google cannot.
bam·goo·gle
bam·boo·zle
the people
damn·goo·gle
Do no evil?…….
I’m pretty sure Google isn’t very happy about these results.
I’m meeting more and more people that are ridding themselves of all Google services.
There is an open letter to Nest on this topic – complete with a poll:
http://jmmxtech.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/dear-nest/
Google may be guilty of being utterly oblivious to why we care so much about our privacy, but anyone who trusts the intentions of The United States Government more than Google is as naive as a puppy in a gas chamber.
Google wants to make money by selling information on what you might want to buy to advertisers. Google wants to make money.
The United States Government wants to control you and every aspect of your individual little life that they can. Their only methods of control are gathering information and passing laws. The more laws they pass, the less free you are, the stronger they are. If anyone really thinks that is less dangerous than someone who figures out you’re pregnant and sends you baby stroller ads, this country is lost.
I haven’t trusted Google since Eric Schmidt taught Steve Jobs the lesson himself. I wonder if Eric used lube or just went for the dry hump when Steve wasn’t looking?