I have a Google story: My younger brother worked in shipyards all over the world. He fell at the one in Korea that is on an island off the eastern coast and ruptured his spleen. He came back to the US to recover and, instead, died in a motel in Texas. I was named administrator of his estate. Because his first ex-wife looted his motel room and storage unit, I had no idea of his friends, co-workers, professional contacts or the many girlfriends and children that he claimed to have scattered over the globe.
I only knew of one bank account (the local one). I needed info on all his financial resources so I could get them to my brother’s two legitimate children by his second ex-wife. The only possible source that might provide some answers was his GMail account. So, I contacted Google for access to it and they demanded all sorts of documents as you would expect; death certificates, court documents, my ID, etc. After “jumping through all their hoops”, they denied my request and said that I could not appeal it. Their rationale was simply, “We value our customer’s privacy.” This is the value of human beings in a post-capitalist corporate economy. I hope all of Google’s management die anonymously as my brother did to the people that knew him. Share or document your passwords so the folks who have to clean up after you can do just that. Above all, get a will. Steve Staten “C’ Est La Vie” C&C 27 Langley, OK From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Marek Dziedzic via CnC-List Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2015 11:34 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: Marek Dziedzic Subject: Re: Stus-List Off topic Windows 10 I hope you don’t think that Apple (or Google, for that matter) is not collecting very similar information.... From: S Thomas via CnC-List<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2015 12:16 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: S Thomas<mailto:sthom...@bellnet.ca> Subject: Re: Stus-List Off topic Windows 10 Sounds like Microsoft and the NSA are dancing the same waltz. ----- Original Message ----- From: Bill Coleman via CnC-List<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: Bill Coleman<mailto:colt...@verizon.net> Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2015 11:22 Subject: Re: Stus-List Off topic Windows 10 Or this, More than 14 million devices<http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/07/30/windows-10-the-first-24-hours/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter> are already running Microsoft’s Windows 10 after its global launch<http://www.newsweek.com/windows-10-features-upgrade-review-microsoft-358027> on Wednesday, but it’s unclear how many of their users read the company’s Privacy Policy<https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement/default.aspx> and Service Agreement<https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/servicesagreement/default.aspx> before downloading. Tucked away in the 45 pages’ worth <http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2015/07/29/wind-nos/> of terms and conditions (effective August 1<http://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2015/06/04/improving-the-microsoft-services-agreement-and-privacy-statement-for-consumers/>) is a substantial power grab: The company is collecting data on much of what you do while using its new software. From the moment an account is created, Microsoft begins watching. The company saves customers’ basic information—name, contact details, passwords, demographic data and credit card specifics —but it also digs a bit deeper. Other information Microsoft saves includes Bing search queries and conversations with the new digital personal assistant Cortana; contents of private communications such as email; websites and apps visited (including features accessed and length of time used); and contents of private folders. Furthermore, “your typed and handwritten words are collected,” the Privacy Statement<https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement/default.aspx> says, which many online observers <http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/windows-10-microsoft-faces-criticism-over-privacy-default-settings> liken to <http://thehackernews.com/2014/10/download-Windows-10-keylogger.html> a keylogger<https://twitter.com/XzeroPoint/status/625325931410751488>. Microsoft says they collect the information “to provide you a personalized user dictionary, help you type and write on your device with better character recognition, and provide you with text suggestions as you type or write.” All this information doesn’t necessarily remain with just Microsoft. The company says<https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement/default.aspx> it uses the data collected for three purposes: to provide and improve its services; to send customers personalized promotions; and to display targeted advertising, which sometimes requires the information be shared with third parties. Microsoft mentions that though it assigns each customer a unique advertising ID, which is fed data during computer usage, it “does not use what you say in email, chat, video calls or voice mail, or your documents, photos or other personal files to target ads to you.” It makes no such promise for its other stated data collection purposes. Bill Coleman ________________________________ _______________________________________________ Email address: CnC-List@cnc-list.com<mailto:CnC-List@cnc-list.com> To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com
_______________________________________________ Email address: CnC-List@cnc-list.com To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com
