Google CEO Says Anonymity Online Is 'Dangerous'.
Google knows what you watch, what you search, and even with whom you're friends. The availability of all this information raises an important question: Where does Google CEO Eric Schmidt stand on the issue of online privacy?
Schmidt has previously said, "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."
In a more recent interview with CNBC conducted at the Techonomy conference earlier this month, Schmidt offered an additional look at his views on online privacy and anonymity.
Speaking on a panel at the event, Schmidt argued that anonymity on the Internet is dangerous. "In a world of asynchronous threats, it is too dangerous for there not to be some way to identify you," he said.
Schmidt took the stance that governments may eventually put an end to anonymity. "We need a [verified] name service for people," he said. "Governments will demand it."
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Google has been struggling and "soul searching" to answer the question: "How far should it go in profiting from its crown jewels--the vast trove of data it possesses about people's activities?" A leaked vision statement reveals the company is grappling with what it should do with the data it has about its users.
If you have followed the flip-flop on "net neutrality" that Google has done, it is easy to guess that it won't be too difficult a decision for Google to use every bit of information has about you. It is scary and very "Orwellian."
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