Many regular users - and younger members of society especially (like my younger siblings for example) - have absolutely no concern for privacy or the potential for abuse by companies like Google.
What will it take before the general public understands kind of dangers involved? Or are privacy concerns largely theoretical musings by geeks, which simply aren't as important as we imagine them to be?
What are the dangers? What could be done with this type of information?
There was a similar shift in privacy when banking went electronic and we all got credit cards. Now businesses have vast repositories of extremely detailed purchasing information, and we all accept this surrender of privacy without question.
What's the difference? What has been the impact of the loss of privacy via e-banking?
The introduction of these electronic systems helped to establish a course which society is now destined to continue along. A gradual step-change is more socially palatable.
Maybe the only limit to the possible dangers is human imagination?
I do not think the younger members of society do not care about privacy. I think an 18 year old knows full well what he would like to keep private, such as a nude picture of himself, and what to make public, such as a face picture of himself.
They just are not scared of the internet that's all and do not consider fantastic possibilities, but probabilities.
Google has become too big and even powerful, so it is only right that every step, even contemplation of taking a step, is scrutinised closely. That so is being done tells you that many, if not the majority, do understand the importance of privacy.
What will it take before the general public understands kind of dangers involved? Or are privacy concerns largely theoretical musings by geeks, which simply aren't as important as we imagine them to be?