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A comment on Ask HN: Are we too lenient on Google and Apple?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: Are we too lenient on Google and Apple? by dnsworks on Saturday January 09, 2010 @08:06PM (#1042377)
What if I told you that your bank gave detailed descriptions of your purchasing activities to the federal government, while simultaneously selling that data to the advertising agencies who represent the companies you do business with? Would you find that to be evil? Because in both cases, it's true.
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Re:Ask HN: Are we too lenient on Google and Apple? by rapind on Saturday January 09, 2010 @08:30PM (#1042405)
I thought they fought the first point in court, and you didn't mention that the data selling is anonymous. Seems like a pretty conscientious way to do evil...
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Re:Ask HN: Are we too lenient on Google and Apple? by GHFigs on Saturday January 09, 2010 @09:06PM (#1042458)
I think you missed the point. You're trying to scare me rather than explain what actual events that actually transpired you actually think are actually wrong.

I'm just asking you to not be vague and presumptive when making a moral argument.

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Re:Ask HN: Are we too lenient on Google and Apple? by ErrantX on Saturday January 09, 2010 @08:50PM (#1042435)
> gave detailed descriptions of your purchasing activities to the federal government,

They would have to do this if made to, same as Google.

> selling that data to the advertising agencies who represent the companies you do business with?

Are Google doing this? What data? Evidence? EDIT: I mean the identifiable stuff... anonymous doesn't personally bother me. But you linked it to point #1 which is identifiable data

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Re:Ask HN: Are we too lenient on Google and Apple? by Retric on Saturday January 09, 2010 @10:32PM (#1042570)
Banks do gave detailed descriptions of your purchasing activities to the federal government. However, Google does not sell data to advertising agencies because they are an advertising agency. In other words when you give information to Google they user it internally. OMG, the horror.

As to bundelling up information and selling it in bulk they also just give it away. Where to do think the search suggestions come from? That's correct it's excerpts from everything anyone has ever typed into Google, yet people don't complain about it.

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