Google Reader Begins Sharing Private Data 313
Felipe Hoffa writes "One week ago Google Reader's team decided to begin showing your private data to all your GMail contacts. No need to opt-in, no way to opt-out. Complaints haven't been answered. Some users share their problems, including one family who says they won't be able to enjoy this Christmas because of this 'feature.' Will Google start doing this with all their products? You can check a summary of complaints in my journal here or browse the whole thread in Google Groups."
Ok right.... (Score:5, Informative)
Ive just had a quick check.
that is to say - they are not shared by default.There is a shared items area in my google reader, however none of my feeds are listed in there.
Granted, the feature is there but its hardly invading my privacy without me having a say in what can and cannot be displayed - and by default for me nothing is.
I don't get it (Score:2, Informative)
Maybe someone with personal experience can help explain this better than the linked articles did. Did it automatically check all your previously stored items as being shared, or does it just default share everything?
Re:I never "got" GMail (Score:2, Informative)
Misleading article (Score:4, Informative)
Not exactly. According to Google:
"You can hide items from any friend you don't want to see, and you can also opt out of sharing by removing all your shared items."
Re:I don't get it (Score:3, Informative)
What Google essentially did just 'outed' you to them.
Speaking as neopagan practitioner and priest (out of the closet), I can say that this situation would be not be unlikely at all.
Re:Ok right.... (Score:5, Informative)
A little more info (Score:4, Informative)
First of all, I had no idea what Google reader is: which already makes it a low privacy risk to me. So I did a google for Google Reader, and found this page: http://www.google.com/reader/view/#directory-welcome-page [google.com]. I'm not sure if the message on the side was always there, but it clearly states that it shares the data with "friends". "friends" being people on your google talk list.
I watched the video introduction about it, and it didn't seem to require personal data to use. Nor did the article summary say what the personal data that it was sharing is. So I'm going to guess it is sharing what ever it is that it is helping you get.
What this says to me is that people are still working with the assumption that things online apps hosted by third-parties help them to get it still private. I don't trust my ISP, farless Google. My lack of trust however, doesn't prevent me from consuming their useful services.
When even the original poster stops ReadingTFA (Score:4, Informative)
Now, had they been straight and called it for what it is, "You're auto opted in and the only way to opt out is a painful and destructive process that devalues other aspects." then that would be one thing. Blatantly misrepresenting to jump to the head of the wambulance queue - to the point where it's hard to believe it was anything other than deliberate - just devalues your point and loses you all credibility, even for your valid points.
Re:Tempest in a Teapot (Score:5, Informative)
This isn't one of those international conglomerate conspiracy theories.
Yowza, another kdawson turd (Score:3, Informative)
Seriously, the first link is to a self-referenced Slashdot Journal. The second link is to a google groups thread discussing how google shares with your friends data that you've opted to share with your friends!!!
Seriously. This article is crap.