Do you ever get the feeling that maybe Google is pushing the data crunching too far?

[Nimrod]

Just a curiosity topic really. I was watching the video on Google Now:
Google Now: behind the predictive future of search | The Verge

As much as I love the concept of technology being used to make our life's easier, but does anyone feel uneasy about how google crunches everything about you? From your location everyday, to your Flights, to your Parcel number to your connections?

I mean it can offer a great service telling you there is traffic on your usual route home, or that a parcel has been delivered. But sometimes I feel so it's getting to much into my life and all the data is being crunched in googles servers then being used to deliver targeting advertising.

Is it just me, or does anyone else ever feel the same?

I recently deleted my Google+ Account and Google Profile and just turned my Google Account into a standard account once again, but that was more because I didn't use Google+ and didn't like all the crunching. I've also turned off Web History as I found it really uneasy Google recording all that to market adverts to me and use the Do Not Track Plugin for Safari/Chrome to block the Google +1 service from again tracking.

 

[InsaneNutter]

Like you i have always disabled Google Web History, along with YouTube play history, i actually had no idea Google saved every video you ever watched on YouTube until i randomly noticed it when updating my profile on YouTube. I know YouTube never used to, so it must have been a new feature rolled out and enabled for everyone at some point.

The only real advantage i think to having a Google+ profile is you can use link rel="author" on Blog posts, this shows a little picture of the blogger next to search result on Google, and is suppose to help towards SEO. You also need a Google+ account for Google places now so Google are really pushing Google+.

I agree it is concerning just how much data Google wants to collect.

 

[zozobuz]

U r right it sucks the problem is not just google many websites also do it
First time I knew about trackers I was shocked how much infos they store about u I know it's good for us and profiting for them but goong far as recording every keyboard hit that's just too much since then I stated using Anti trackers apps it asks u to accept or deny a tracker each time u get a request for one especially from google and facebook

 

[Backchat]

Most web sites do it unfortunately, and not only them, loads of other sites do it, your server ISP records everything and if there official policy is something like ''it doesn't store any data on my personal web or email use" (like Virgin) if it is served a warrant "it can allow the authorities to access data about an individual customer's web and email use" which ummm probably means that it probably was storing them somewhere in the first place *-)

There is no way to properly avoid it although It's understandable why companies like Google do it- for better customer service and better advertising targeting and why ISP's need to- for national security, better advertising targeting and pedo's etc....But like has already been said - when is it going to far and starts making us feel a bit claustrophobic?

Anyways...On top of the settings provided by google and stuff I find myself using vpn's more and more now days if I want any sense of animosity

Cheers
BC