Online Privacy Concerns re: Google

[Cheeks]

Let me preface by saying this is not about hiding illegal or immoral things online.

 

Maybe I read too much into online privacy stuff but for those that use Gmail as their regular go-to daily driver account are you ever concerned about Google peering at your emails or, by extension, anything you store in their Google Drive?

 

I’ve used Gmail since ‘07 but lately so many issues with privacy has me wondering about moving away from all things Google.

 

I am sure if the governing body had huge concerns they would advise us directly. But overall do you have privacy concerns using Google?

 

 

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[jwhess]

I do not have a Google comment on digital privacy but I was just looking at a general report on my own privacy provided by my Anti-virus software program.

 

I looked at various places where my personal information popped up around the globe.  For a brief minute I was curious and then I realized that as a Regular Pioneer, I used many of these place to get the information about people that I write letters to.  I know their name and address, city, sate and zipcode.  I know their phone number (landline or cell).  I know their age, gender, names of relatives or spouse.  I can even access pubic arrest warrants or criminal activity.  I can locate previous addresses, former name usage and so on.

 

I use this information every day to write letters or make phone calls for spreading the Good News.  It should not be surprising if those with bad intentions know that much or more about me.  I looked myself up one time and when all the mundane information was shown, I was offered more details if I would subscribe. They knew my mortgage pay and which bank it was with.  They knew my car registration and VIN number and more.

 

So I can't believe that I have much that is "private" in this digital age.  Welcome to the Goldfish Bowl of life.

 

Side Point: our organization uses a private secure emailing system for appointed servants.

[carlos]

7 hours ago, Cheeks said:

I am sure if the governing body had huge concerns they would advise us directly. But overall do you have privacy concerns using Google?

Personally I am not too concerned about privacy because I have reached the conclusion that it doesn't exist. If you want to use any free services, they will be exploiting your data. And many paid ones too.

 

On the other hand, the only reason Google wants your data is to sell things to you. They will tailor their ads to the preferences they have recorded. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

 

Some years ago my wife was scammed. Someone sold her a phone and when she opened the box it was just an empty bottle. The whole interchange was by email, using her Gmail account. We went to the police and they told us it's impossible to obtain anything from Gmail emails. The IPs they show are their American servers' IPs, not the sender's. And Gmail doesn't collaborate revealing any info to the Spanish police. So if you live outside the US using a Gmail account could even be a positive thing (I'm thinking in case of persecution, for example).

[Hinata]

I personally do not have any privacy problems with Google. I think their Privacy Policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) is very clear on how they process my information and how they use it. In fact, I very much prefer how they use my data to make me see stuff only what I want to see, nothing else. https://www.avast.com/c-how-google-uses-your-data

 

I think it’s just a popular thing to do on the internet to slander big companies like Google and Microsoft as a some kind of hidden “evil” in the society, planning on nefarious things to take over the world. Which … seems to me sounds like a tin foil conspiracy.
 

[Cheeks]

I guess one could look at it this way too: when the time of the end comes it doesn’t matter what email or cloud service we use: the authorities will easily access these sources when things reach that stage.


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[Cheeks]

Personally I am not too concerned about privacy because I have reached the conclusion that it doesn't exist. If you want to use any free services, they will be exploiting your data. And many paid ones too.
 
On the other hand, the only reason Google wants your data is to sell things to you. They will tailor their ads to the preferences they have recorded. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
 
Some years ago my wife was scammed. Someone sold her a phone and when she opened the box it was just an empty bottle. The whole interchange was by email, using her Gmail account. We went to the police and they told us it's impossible to obtain anything from Gmail emails. The IPs they show are their American servers' IPs, not the sender's. And Gmail doesn't collaborate revealing any info to the Spanish police. So if you live outside the US using a Gmail account could even be a positive thing (I'm thinking in case of persecution, for example).

I have heard privacy matters in Europe are much more strict than here in North America. Most likely Google wouldn’t be as far as they are today if they took a lackadaisical approach to email privacy and put a large number of people through Europe at risk.


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[Qapla]

Privacy is this system is a facade ... but it seems poplar to blame or suspect large companies of evil motives. To give an example of how these issues are not new and are not the sole purview of digital times ... 

 

We live in a rural area. For many, many years we did not have a "street address" - we only had a PO Box. It was not until the 1980 that actual address began to be assigned. At first, we were told these were for emergency use only (they were dubbed 911 addresses) and were not to be used as physical addresses for other uses. That was eventually changed and now our street address is our 911 address - however, I digress: back to the subject at hand-

 

Back in the early 1970's my mother went to renew her driver license. They told her that she needed to provide her "physical address". She tried to explain that we did not have one but they would not take that for an answer - they insisted she provide a physical address - so, she made on up. This was not a real address and has never been our official address ... this was long before everything was on computers and way before the Internet.

 

Well, within a couple of months, she started receiving "junk mail" addresses to her with her made-up address. Now, the only place that address was "on file" was with the state driver license division - so, how did that address get to the people who send out junk mail?

 

It certainly was not Google, Microsoft, Amazon or any of the other company people like to say leak private information since none of them existed at that time.

 

I do not worry about these privacy issues. To do so reminds me of a common practice I have seen often: I have known people who are very hesitant to use a credit card online. They tell you that the numbers and be hacked - yet, at the same time, they will casually hand that same credit card to a server in a restaurant where the server carries it away and returns with a receipt that needs to be signed when the card is returned. They fear that an encrypted online connection will be hacked but trust that a server will not snap a picture of their card while they have it      

 

Personally, I have more immediate things to worry about than Google or anyone else reading my emails.

 

 

[Cheeks]

Privacy is this system is a facade ... but it seems poplar to blame or suspect large companies of evil motives. To give an example of how these issues are not new and are not the sole purview of digital times ... 
 
We live in a rural area. For many, many years we did not have a "street address" - we only had a PO Box. It was not until the 1980 that actual address began to be assigned. At first, we were told these were for emergency use only (they were dubbed 911 addresses) and were not to be used as physical addresses for other uses. That was eventually changed and now our street address is our 911 address - however, I digress: back to the subject at hand-
 
Back in the early 1970's my mother went to renew her driver license. They told her that she needed to provide her "physical address". She tried to explain that we did not have one but they would not take that for an answer - they insisted she provide a physical address - so, she made on up. This was not a real address and has never been our official address ... this was long before everything was on computers and way before the Internet.
 
Well, within a couple of months, she started receiving "junk mail" addresses to her with her made-up address. Now, the only place that address was "on file" was with the state driver license division - so, how did that address get to the people who send out junk mail?
 
It certainly was not Google, Microsoft, Amazon or any of the other company people like to say leak private information since none of them existed at that time.
 
I do not worry about these privacy issues. To do so reminds me of a common practice I have seen often: I have known people who are very hesitant to use a credit card online. They tell you that the numbers and be hacked - yet, at the same time, they will casually hand that same credit card to a server in a restaurant where the server carries it away and returns with a receipt that needs to be signed when the card is returned. They fear that an encrypted online connection will be hacked but trust that a server will not snap a picture of their card while they have it      
 
Personally, I have more immediate things to worry about than Google or anyone else reading my emails.
 
 

Growing up on a farm I remember the days of the “911 addresses” very well. Up until then the house to house records consisted of: “White house with red barn” or “Brick house near road.”

I miss the days of simplicity.


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[dove]

Sometimes when I couldn't find an address I wrote down the color of the house, shutters, etc, and that there was a trailer in the driveway. When I went back the house had been painted and the trailer was gone..🙄

..after that I used the number of the house to the left or right which worked out better..🙂

[dove]

3 hours ago, Cheeks said:

I guess one could look at it this way too: when the time of the end comes it doesn’t matter what email or cloud service we use: the authorities will easily access these sources when things reach that stage.


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I'm convinced the authorities know exactly who we are individually as Witnesses and where we live right now, and everything about us. Especially when the brothers don't sign up for the draft conscription..

 

I recall years ago during the Cuban Missile Crisis one of my uncles, year older than me and still answerable to the draft, told me that if he was ever drafted that he would tell them he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses because we don't go to war..I told him that it wouldn't work because we are all recorded as registered baptized members in the congregations and it would be easy for them to check.

[Old]

48 minutes ago, Dove said:

I'm convinced the authorities know exactly who we are individually as Witnesses and where we live right now, and everything about us. Especially when the brothers don't sign up for the draft conscription..

 

 

I do not recall a time when the brothers didn't sign up for the draft. Even to this day we get an annual reminder to sign up for the draft.

[jps]

if you're not paying for the product, you are the product...

[dove]

20 minutes ago, Old said:

I do not recall a time when the brothers didn't sign up for the draft. Even to this day we get an annual reminder to sign up for the draft.

But they refuse to enter the military if they are drafted / guess I didn’t say it right 

Edited February 15, 2022 by Dove

[dove]

🙂

44 minutes ago, Old said:

I do not recall a time when the brothers didn't sign up for the draft. Even to this day we get an annual reminder to sign up for the draft.

Yes we refuse induction in the military. How would you say it?🙂

Edited February 15, 2022 by Dove

[Old]

15 minutes ago, Dove said:

🙂

Yes we refuse induction in the military. How would you say it?🙂

I would say "We refuse induction in the military." Well said.

[carlos]

7 hours ago, Cheeks said:

I have heard privacy matters in Europe are much more strict than here in North America.

This is true. I am often very surprised at the amount of info anyone can find about most people in the US. European governments are much more concerned about privacy. But in the end it doesn't matter because, if you wish to use Gmail, or Google Maps, or any other Google product (or Facebook, Whatsapp, you name it) you have to agree to their conditions. That's basically what European privacy laws are about: No one can keep info about you, unless you agree to it.

[jwhess]

In countries that are against our work, think of the raids on our brother's homes.  How do they know which house to go to?  They know where we are...👍

[Donna]

16 hours ago, jwhess said:

In countries that are against our work, think of the raids on our brother's homes.  How do they know which house to go to?  They know where we are...👍

In my country everyone knows where you are without Google services.

[Cheeks]

In countries that are against our work, think of the raids on our brother's homes.  How do they know which house to go to?  They know where we are...

So true. In fact, if by our conduct our neighbors didn’t know we were Witnesses then that’s a problem lol.


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