Google and your privacy

Yahoo News has a new article about Google's rapid expansion and the potential privacy risks. Some privacy advocates claim there is a huge potential risk as Google stores lots of details which could hurt one's privacy. This may make them a prime target for abuse by law enforces, criminals and others.

Through hacking or with the assistance of rogue employees, they say, criminals could steal data for blackmail or identity theft. Recent high-profile privacy breaches elsewhere underscore the vulnerability of even those systems where thoughtful security measures are taken.

Law enforcement, meanwhile, could obtain information that later becomes public, in court filings or otherwise, about people who are not even targets of a particular investigation.

Although it must be noted that Google's privacy protection is generally comparable - or even better than - those at Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo and other Internet giants. Read more here