Don't ever trust Google...
@Jason Bloomberg, I totally agree with everything you said.
As for Ammaross Danan post, not least of which this comment, "I'd trust them with my data more than the Gov't any day" ... In that case, frankly you are an overly trusting fool who should wake up!
You and people like you should be asking yourselves why is the government *allowing* Google to do all of this, because all governments are very focused on power and they know they are handing Google incredible power to profile the population. Therefore why are they allowing Google such power? What deals have been made in secret behind the scenes, that have *allowed* Google to be granted such incredible power.
Here's a hint, some ex-government people from government spy master organizations are some of the people on the board of directors and working for Google. (Plus just how ex-government are they really, in fact just how ex-government could they ever really become with their friends and contacts in very powerful places).
Google are also fast becoming the most Orwellian company in world history, therefore they *must* have very powerful friends in very high places, because if they didn't, these same powerful people would then be powerful enemies and powerful competitors who would move to shut down Google's business plan very fast, by changing the law to outlaw Google's chess moves. But the amazing speed Google is being *allowed* to move at and the overwhelming sense of Government silence at each new Google move, shows the Government is most definitely on Google's side.
You don't get such a powerful company being allowed to grow, without it attracting the attention of a lot of very powerful people. Once you have the potential to build a powerful company, you either work with the powerful people, or they shut you done. Thats simply the way power games are played and have been played for centuries.
Power inherently creates an asymmetric society resulting in the vast majority of people being constantly held down by the people in power. (That is the nature of power!). The only way out of the crowd is to work with the people in power or they will throw you back down again, so you end up back where you started.
Therefore Google are most definitely working with very powerful people behind the scenes. Publicly Google can never admit such connections, because they know it would risk generating considerable public concern and even public anger against them, which would act against them.
So make absolutely no mistake, very powerful people are behind Google in the same way they are behind everything that is powerful including Governments. You either work with the powerful people or they shut you down. That is the nature of power. Its been that way throughout history.
Now imagine giving such powerful people the power of Google to profile a population like never before and then just wait and see just how far they will be able to distort society into an ever more asymmetric society in their favor. Then imagine each year that asymmetry getting ever worse. That is the danger and that is our future! ... Welcome to our future!
Power always results in an asymmetric society because that is the nature of power.