Google Does not Abuse Privacy Laws
The fact that Google readily hands over information to governments about it's users is morally on par with a cop's snitch who specializes in jaywalking. Is it fair that our goes tax dollar helps these Google searches? That is a question for the tax department, not Google.
Many people forget that private corporations are allowed to do pretty much whatever they please once you have used their services. In this case, once you use Google to search anything, legally, they have full right to give or sell that information to any interested party. Including any government in the world. And who can blame them? The citizenry of the United States does live in a free market economy.
A free market is defined by an exchange of goods or services at an arranged price. As stated earlier, it is seriously doubtful that Google hands over information for free. So not only is this legal but it is an example of everything the founding father's of the United States stood for as far as economic policy was concerned.
While the United States has moved from an industrial and manufacturing economy to a service based and information economy. Google is one of the few success stories and, instead of complaining, people should be praising them for their ability to make money which largely is spent on other products. Mostly Asian and Latin American made product, but we have no one to blame but ourselves for that.
What is stopping "Joe the Plumber" from setting up his own business? Taxes? No, if Joe wants to make more money, someone needs to tell him to set up a national or, better yet, internationally used plumbing service. Sort of like Google has managed to do so successfully.
Conversely, if Google is allowing itself to be browbeaten into giving up information on individual's searches, then their legal team should be sent back to a remedial Corporate Law class. That is the only case in which Google could be held liable in a United States court of law.
Governments aside, let's say that any man or woman off the street waltzes into Google's headquarters and shows the receptionist a cashier's check for $10 billion dollars, then requests search results for any I.P. address. Does anyone honestly think that the receptionist would not contact the bosses who would then be rushing downstairs to accommodate this client?
Does google legally abuse the idea behind the privacy laws? It is a popular question. But, to the chagrin of civil liberty lawyers, the answer is inequitable. Google, like all other corporate entity, has the right to sell their legal goods or products. Unfortunately for those who scream that this is illegal, they are selling information. And information, by law, is legal to sell.
The bigger question should be, do governments have the right to purchase this information? While it is beyond reprehensible that a government would stick it's nose into the private lives of it's citizenry, the answer is, yes they do.
If you don't want Big Brother looking over your shoulder, go to the library.
For more information on privacy laws, visit http://www.privacylawmicroblog.com/
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
