Orwell, 1984, and Google

Forbes has an interesting article "When Google Runs Your Life". Basically, Google is on its way to impact (control? profile?) most of your private and corporate life. It has its reach into search, mapping and navigation, online and offline applications, into communication (both landlines and mobile). Through its browser and operating systems as well as DNS services it is also at the door to the Internet. To top that, by way of the AdSense and Analytics services there is a web of checkpoints plastering the Information Highway and more.

You talked with someone or left a message? You transcribed and analyzed it. You got emails? Analyzed and only the advertising got optimized. You surfed to some fancy places? Google already got the big picture of your personality.

In the article Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, is cited as:

Privately, however, he has told friends to keep off a computer anything they want to keep private.

In several European countries there are already discussions about Google and compliance with privacy laws. It will be interesting to see how this moves forward.