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back to article Head of privacy at Google leaves. Yes, that's a real job

Google's top privacy wonk Alma Whitten is stepping down from her role at the company after three years in the job. Her departure comes just weeks after Anne Toth, who was poached by Whitten from Yahoo! in 2011 to head up privacy at Google+, departed from Mountain View for personal reasons. Forbes reported that Whitten was …

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  1. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Trollface

    At last Google go back to their roots and 'Do no evil'

    Having a 'Head of privacy' was lying, which is a sin. Now there is no 'Head of privacy' and everybody knows where they stand.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Lying?

      Not at all. They must have a head of privacy. Indeed, a whole department working on how they can invade it.

      1 0
  2. NorthernCoder
    Coat

    Who's on first?

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    1. Crisp
      Reply Icon

      You is on first.

      1 0

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  4. Avatar of They
    WTF?

    Head of privacy.

    It is a bit late for April fools?

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hmm...

    IIRC she was the person arguing that IP addresses weren't personally identifiable information. Which is generally seen as a bad thing by many internet commentators. However in arguing this she was also (possibly inadvertently) arguing that file sharers can't be identified by their IP addresses, which would be a good thing for most internet commentators.

    Argh, my mind is melting...

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Head of piracy

    I misread privacy with piracy, still giggling.

    1 0
  7. illiad

    you dont understand 'privacy'!!!

    it means making sure no-one can read your emails easily...

    It means that it is possible to securely change you password, if they think there is a break in...

    It means finding new ways to encrypt and secure your emails, BEFORE the pirates manage to find the source, and beat it!!!

    dont want privacy ??? are you sure that you would feel ok, **removing** your front door???

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: you dont understand 'privacy'!!!

      I would be fine removing my front door if poverty and greed was non-existent. Why would one need to be protected from others if everyone is content with their lives But this is the real world so poverty and greed and abundant so I would keep my front door.

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  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "to keep the company out of privacy-related trouble"

    The BBC version of this story quotes someone from the ACLU that sums things up succinctly :-

    "Mr You's main job would be to keep the company out of privacy-related trouble" rather than to protect user privacy."

    Now before somebody posts a 'I don't care cos I use Adblock / Noscript'. Please can someone tell me if either of those blocking tools is effective at the type of blocking needed to prevent Zombie cookies?

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    1. brooxta
      Reply Icon

      Re: "to keep the company out of privacy-related trouble"

      You do realise that even Noscript whitelists pretty much every Google property by default, don't you? In its just-installed state it does nothing to protect you from anything Google wants to do to your browser.

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "to keep the company out of privacy-related trouble"

        I don't use either. What I want to know is if Adblock / Noscript can even tackle FLASH / ETAGS advanced tracking exposed by the Hulu tracking scandal...?

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    2. illiad
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Down

      Re: "to keep the company out of privacy-related trouble"

      do remember that ANY adblocker / AV / whateva can NEVER be 100% - it is a continuous war against these threats... often even needing an entry in 'hosts'... :(

      I think too many are getting paranoid about cookies... and feeding of that, to wind up simple folk...

      do remember, the internet will only know what you tell it!!! so switch off any 'location' services, etc, and dont use your real name!!

      to track you, cookies are not really needed... there are plenty of older ways to do it... it might help to read a good book, like "how I leaned to stop worrying to death, and learned to love the bomb" :) :)

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  9. Florida1920
    Coat

    Missed headline op.

    "Google's top privacy wonk: 'I'm a-quittin.'"

    The one with the spy-cam buttons.

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  10. The_Regulator

    Head of how to get around privacy

    Wow, I wonder if just about anyone can apply for this job. No experience required ftw!!!

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  11. Armando 123
    Big Brother

    Of course google has a head of privacy

    Because they need to ensure that only THEY have any.

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  12. Alistair
    Facepalm

    Things that make ya go Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

    correlation != causation but:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/02/google_fails_to_comply_with_euro_data_watchdog/

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  13. Nameless Faceless Computer User
    Devil

    The Head of Privacy at Google leaves...

    and there was much rejoicing. yea....

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  14. Tree
    FAIL

    What is their privacy policy?

    Before I will unblock gurgle from no script, adblock +, cookie controller and better privacy, they better have a privacy policy in 25 words or less, that people can read. It will take time for me to consider using gmail, chrome browser or android devices, because they are not trustworthy. Facebutt may be worse, but a comparison is dificult. It's like comparing Hitler to Mao Tse Tung, or Ghengis Kahn to Stalin.

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