A couple of days ago, Google stated that it will now anonymise user data after 9 months instead of 18 months.
Andy Beal asks a very good question with his post, “Why Isn’t Google Asking Users for Input on Its Privacy Policy?
And why aren’t they? Why are Google, as Andy puts it, “acting like Big Brother and telling us little users what’s good for us.”
I’d gladly let Google keep my user data indefinitely if it means I get a better service. Like Andy, I trust Google with my data. They have plenty of people cooped up in the Googleplex who are clever enough to work on damn good security, which I’m sure is more than adequate already.
In fact, I quite often see the benefits to having Web History turned on.
I’m all for freedom of choice too. Google already provide a Preferences page. Why not add some other options to that like;
- Allow Google to track your activity?
- Allow Google to keep your data for X years and X months
- Google should anonymise your data after X years and X months
Oh and those Xs would of course be text boxes for us to put our own figures in. No ‘choose from these limited options’ malarke. Just freedom.
Give people choice and they will reward you with loyalty.
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