By: Robert Leitch, Technology Manager


When you are online, visiting websites, watching video, shopping or reading email what is your expectation of privacy?  Most sites/services offer terms of use, but no one ever reads them. So what is "privacy?”

Google is a word synonymous with "information." Google's entire business model is based on information. It all started simply -- try to remember the days when Google was only a search engine.  Google would sell advertising and target the ads -- if you searched for "banks" you would see an ad for "banks" right there with your search results.  EASY!

Then they took it up notch by notch... adding services like Gmail, Google+ and more.  Getting more and more information about all of us.

Now Google is using ALL the information that passes through their hands to target ads to you even more precisely.

Yes, the news reports have sounded SCARY -- using terms like "reading your email" and "selling your information" to describe this process, but I would describe it more like "analyzing" your email and "selling targeted advertising.” Is it really so bad?

Does it hurt anyone if you email pictures of your baby to your mom and then later you get coupons for diapers in the mail?  Is this any different than using a shoppers club card at the store?  

On the flip side -- what if you send lots of emails about all the crazy parties you and your friends have been having and then see that your car insurance rates go up?

So I'll ask again -- what is privacy?

The world will continue to get more and more intrusive. News and advertising will continue to become more targeted. Are we heading to a "Minority Report" type world? I dont know for sure -- let me ask my iPhone.

Robert Leitch is the Technology Manager at MediaSource, a multimedia production and media relations company that works with many of the nation’s top news organizations to connect them with news from leading hospitals and healthcare organizations.