Google has used an automation to serve ads based on keywords since
2004. It’s no secret our privacy isn’t so private. This is the norm of
practice for the Internet advertisers these days. Google is becoming
very questionable and people want privacy. Now there is a
lawsuit…
Google’s attorneys say their practice of electronically scanning
Gmail accounts is to help sell ads. They also claim there is nothing
wrong with it and it is legal. The federal judge has been asked to
dismiss the lawsuit that intends to stop this practice.
Google argues that “all users of email must necessarily expect that their emails will be subject to automated processing.”
The class action lawsuit, says Google “unlawfully opens up, reads,
and aquires the content of people’s private email messages” this is in
violation of California’s privacy laws and federal wiretapping statues.
The lawsuit states that the company scans 425 million users accounts
that aren’t signed up with Gmail, but are receiving messages from Gmail
users.
These users never agreed to Google’s terms under the Gmail accounts
Terms and Conditions.
The Target
Google has confessed to targeting its advertising based on the words
users input to their Gmail messages. For example, the company see’s a
lot of messages about guns or hunting, then Google would send the
information to its database and would display advertisements from local
sporting goods stores onto your page. Google claims the process is
fully automated, “and no humans read your email…”
“This case involves Plaintiffs’ effort to criminalize ordinary
business practices that have been part of Google’s free Gmail service
since it was introduced nearly a decade ago,” the company attorneys
argue.
People believe their email is private for better or worse. But in
Google’s eyes, the 97% revenue they are receiving from advertising
outweighs your Right of Privacy.
Your Right
When using Gmail, you can block individual advertisers through
Google Ad Preferences, where you can
opt out of getting personalized ads. Advertisements will still appear on your page but those ads aren’t from Google and won’t be based on your search terms.
Microsoft also shows ads in their Outlook.com email account, but
those ads are based on demographic info. Such as your age, geographic
location, and gender that is provided when signing up for the service.
Both services have an “automated system scan” although Gmail is
actually directed into your private messages. Microsoft also uses
information from your Xbox, Windows phone, and Internet browsing
sessions to serve ads.
So both services personalize ads bases on the user, both services
allow users to turn off the ad personalization, and both services do not
share information with advertisers. They just populate the
advertisements into your page.
What ads do you see appear on your computer screen? We’d like to hear your story below!
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References:
Google Pleads Their Case For Scanning Your Emails To Help Sell Ads – Huffington Post
September 5, 2013
Scroogled: How True Is Microsoft’s Google Attack Ad? – About.com
http://google.about.com/od/blogs/qt/Scroogled-How-True-Is-Microsofts-Google-Attack-Ad.htm
Where Does Google Get 97% of Its Revenue? – GIGAOM
http://gigaom.com/2009/07/17/where-does-google-get-97-of-its-revenue/
