What will Google do to guarantee privacy against Trump? | Hacker News Reader

What will Google do to guarantee privacy against Trump?

10 pointsplg7 comments

Given Trump's rhetoric, many Americans as well as non-Americans who use Google services (Gmail, Google Calendar) are nervous about how their privacy may be impacted.

I know after the Snowden revelations Google announced the hardening of many of their internal infrastructure as well as services, against snooping (using encryption).

Does Google plan on doing anything further to protect its users against future government demands on snooping?

I know Apple has claimed that their encryption is no longer breakable even by Apple, so that in the event the government wants access, Apple simply can't provide it.

Does Google plan to follow suit? Or is Apple the choice for people who want their privacy protected against future Trump-initiated government demands?

It would seem that encryption-that-Google-can't-break would break Google's business model, which is at least in part based on (machines) reading the contents of email for the purposes of building profiles and selling ads. (but presumably this doesn't happen with paid google apps accounts?).

But is Google willing to hold on to this model (at least for GMail and Google Calendar) even if it means they can't protect their customers?

This is hilarious. You're using services whose business model is anti privacy and worrying about what the president is going to do to their datamining operation.

I don't find any of it funny actually.

Their purpose is to make money. Therefore, entities that make it harder to make money (eg an oppressive government) will be seen as threats. Therefore, they take actions like convincing the entire internet to use https.

It's not as simple as "invade privacy" = "profit!". They sell advertising, that's their actual business model.

I would imagine they haven't done it simply because the execs haven't thought about it or don't understand end-to-end encryption. If you know someone at google, give them a prod to do it.

Adding end-to-end encryption to the gmail app would not be difficult. It would work similarly to end-to-end encryption in whatsapp, and would be massive boon for freedom worldwide.

Google is not pro-NSA spying, not by a long shot, despite common belief. They are the ones who convinced the entire web to turn to HTTPS, for instance. Check out: http://www.google.com/takeaction.

Additionally Sergey Brin grew up in the Soviet Union until the age of 6, his father was marginalized, he knows the cost of a dysfunctional society.

Turning the USA into 1984 isn't good business sense, so even for that reason alone Google would do it (that is, add end-to-end encryption, etc).

Step 1: Stop using Google services.

Step 2: Use end-to-end encrypted services, preferably based outside of the United States.

There's only so much Google can do, because Google's business model is much more compatible with an authoritarian leader's view of the world than not.

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2013/11/surveillance_...

So it's against Google's nature as an advertising-focused corporation to do make real changes that would limit the reach of Trump's powers - at least from a technological point of view.

Legally, I guess they could become better activists against Trump and sue his administration at every turn for any data request. But so far I'm only seeing evidence of Google leadership trying to enter Trump's graces.

This attitude is so defeatist. It's not hard for executives to look at companies in free countries vs companies in oppressive countries and see which ones are doing better. It makes business sense for them to try to maintain at least some freedom.

If people want to see these features implemented, find someone at Google and, let them know! Eventually it will happen.

Although I agree with using your own stuff instead of theirs.

Good luck with that...

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