Google's Real Name Policy, Why You Are the Product

bs0d3 writes "Google tells their investors: 'Who are our customers? Our customers are over one million advertisers, from small businesses targeting local customers to many of the world's largest global enterprises, who use Google AdWords to reach millions of users around the world.' Site users don't seem to understand. It's not that it's free. It's that you are the product being sold. ThomasMonopoly points out, 'I'm unaware of any company that feels responsible to their product. And if I'm to understand that they're responsible to their customers, the advertisers, I don't want "the world's largest global enterprises" dictating my identity or choosing who in Syria is granted a voice on the world stage.'"

Nothing new

[Mensa Babe]

Is this really new to anyone who hasn't lived in the cage for the last 80 years? This business model is a de facto standard since Phil Taylor Farnsworth invented the tele. Nothing to be upset about. You don't have to use Google if you don't want to. Besides, I'd rather be a product of a company that does no evil than a client of some other companies [slashdot.org] that do.

Re:I'm currently really pissed at FB...

[advocate_one]

FB require a scan of real ID now [facebook.com]... I'm currently going through the process

Disabled account appeal-ID request

In order to reactivate your account we will first need to verify the authenticity of your account. Please fill out the following form and we will re-evaluate your account status.

Your email address:

The email address where you can be reached. If you are able to access your login email address, enter that here.

Full name:

on the account

Date of birth:

Your login email address:

Please upload a government-issued ID to this report and make sure that your full name, date of birth and photo are clear. You should also black out any personal information that is not needed to verify your identity (e.g. social security number).

If you do not have access to a scanner, a digital image of your photo ID will be accepted as well. Rest assured that we will permanently delete your ID from our servers once we have used it to verify the authenticity of your account.

ID attachment:

Select a file from your computer to upload your identification. (Supported formats: .jpg, .jpeg, .tiff, .pdf or .doc)

Note that writing in and submitting your ID multiple times will not result in a faster response. Once you submit your initial request, it is placed in a queue and responded to accordingly. We appreciate your patience and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Re:Nothing new

[Trepidity]

Yeah, this analysis goes back to analysis of TV, and is around 40 years old at least. A 1973 broadcast by artist Richard Serra [wikipedia.org], entitled "Television Delivers People" [youtube.com] is one early use of the concept:

The product of television, commercial television, is the audience.

Television delivers people to an advertiser.

[...]

You are the product of T.V.

You are delivered to the advertiser who is the customer.

He consumes you.

The viewer is not responsible for programming--

You are the end product.

(For those interested, he discusses the concept and the reaction it got when it was actually broadcast on TV in this book [amazon.com].)

Re:Nothing new

[webmistressrachel]

John Logie Baird was the first to implement television, stop re-writing history you goddamn Yanks!

Rather than add mod points..

[Kupfernigk]

Rachel, I would like to give you a mod point, but I'd like to make a philosophical point if I may, and I can't do both.

Philo T Farnsworth invented US television, which is that commercial stuff in which the viewers are the sweetcorn, the advertisers are the buyers, and the TV company is the farmer. John Logie Baird invented British television in which the taxpayer is the customer, pays directly for the product, and elects politicians to keep an eye on things. That's quite different, as well as being a whole lot better.