Public Policy Blog
Updates on technology policy issues
Update to our privacy policy
Friday, January 30, 2009
Posted by Jens Meiert, Webmaster
We posted a small update to our
privacy policy
beginning on January 27th. The change lets users know that Google collects limited information about their interaction with our services in order to detect and combat security problems, spam, and fraud. The information collected is used only for these purposes and protects users from misconduct on Google services.
Due to an oversight, we didn't change the "last modified" date at the top of the privacy policy page. We're working quickly to fix this so that our users are informed about the change to our policy. It's important for us to be transparent, so we thank those who brought this to our attention and apologize for the omission.
Good tips for managing your data footprint
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Posted by Betsy Masiello, Economics Analyst
Just in time for
Data Privacy Day
, Robert Mitchell at Computerworld posted
12 good tips for managing your information footprint
online. A consistent theme: protecting your personal information offline is as important to maintaining your privacy as protecting it online. Mitchell offers a number of useful tips to keep in mind whenever you share personal information, and suggests tools that can help you manage your privacy.
Perhaps most important is his advice to "know what's out there about you" - you can only take steps to protect your data privacy if you know what data is already out there!
Introducing Measurement Lab
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Posted by Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist, and Stephen Stuart, Principal Engineer
(Cross-posted from the
Official Google Blog
)
When an Internet application doesn't work as expected or your connection seems flaky, how can you tell whether there is a problem caused by your broadband ISP, the application, your PC, or something else? It can be difficult for experts, let alone average Internet users, to address this sort of question today.
Last year we asked a small group of academics about ways to advance network research and provide users with tools to test their broadband connections. Today Google, the
New America Foundation
's Open Technology Institute, the
PlanetLab Consortium
, and academic researchers are taking the wraps off of
Measurement Lab
(M-Lab), an open platform that researchers can use to deploy Internet measurement tools.
Researchers are already developing tools that allow users to, among other things, measure the speed of their connection, run diagnostics, and attempt to discern if their ISP is blocking or throttling particular applications. These tools generate and send some data back-and-forth between the user's computer and a server elsewhere on the Internet. Unfortunately, researchers lack widely-distributed servers with ample connectivity. This poses a barrier to the accuracy and scalability of these tools. Researchers also have trouble sharing data with one another.
M-Lab aims to address these problems. Over the course of early 2009, Google will provide researchers with 36 servers in 12 locations in the U.S. and Europe. All data collected via M-Lab will be made publicly available for other researchers to build on. M-Lab is intended to be a truly community-based effort, and we welcome the support of other companies, institutions, researchers, and users that want to provide servers, tools, or other resources that can help the platform flourish.
Today, M-Lab is at the beginning of its development. To start,
three tools
running on servers near Google's headquarters are available to help users attempt to diagnose common problems that might impair their broadband speed, as well as determine whether BitTorrent is being blocked or throttled by their ISPs. These tools were created by the individual researchers who helped found M-Lab. By running these tools, users will get information about their connection and provide researchers with valuable aggregate data. Like M-Lab itself these tools are still in development, and they will only support a limited number of simultaneous users at this initial stage.
At Google, we care deeply about sustaining the Internet as an open platform for consumer choice and innovation. No matter your views on net neutrality and ISP network management practices, everyone can agree that Internet users deserve to be well-informed about what they're getting when they sign up for broadband, and
good data is the bedrock of sound policy
. Transparency has always been crucial to the success of the Internet, and, by advancing network research in this area, M-Lab aims to help sustain a healthy, innovative Internet.
You can learn more at the
M-Lab website
. If you're a researcher who'd like to deploy a tool, or a company or institution that is interested in providing technical resources, we invite you to
get involved
.
UPDATE:
Check out the video from the launch event at the New America Foundation:
Raising data privacy awareness
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Posted by Peter Fleischer, Global Privacy Counsel, and Jane Horvath, Global Privacy Counsel
For the second year, the U.S. and Canada are joining 27 European countries to celebrate
Data Privacy Day
today. As we
explained
last year, the lack of understanding about online data protection is a global issue. As increasing amounts of data get uploaded to the Internet every day, it becomes more and more important for people to understand the benefits and risks of online communications and to learn how to use available tools to control and manage the information they share online.
To mark this special day of awareness, we are supporting an event hosted by the Information Technology Association of America called "
Data Privacy Day: Increasing Privacy Awareness and Trust
." We'll join U.S. and European government officials and key members of the privacy community on Capitol Hill to discuss how to increase public awareness about data privacy. This event is a part of our ongoing constructive dialogue with regulators and legislators, consumer and industry groups, and think tanks and privacy advocates to discuss how to protect user information.
Our efforts to raise data privacy awareness extend beyond the public policy arena; we aim to connect directly with our users, too. We're committed to protecting users' online privacy by following the principles of transparency and choice. We're transparent about the data we collect, and we design products that give people control over the information they share. Earlier this year, we
revamped our Privacy Center
, where we offer
information
,
tips
, and
videos
that explain Google's privacy practices and show people how they can control what data they share.
The Privacy Center also includes a link to a
series of blog posts
about how we use data to improve our products and services for our users. We recently translated the Privacy Center into multiple languages so that we can better serve people all around the world. We're also continuously working on innovative services and features that make information available to people in new ways, but with built-in privacy controls. For example, we introduced privacy-protective
face-blurring
for Street View earlier this year. And the launch of our browser, Google Chrome, included a feature for surfing the Internet in "
incognito mode
."
For the coming year, we want to improve our privacy practices even more by engaging in further dialogue with people who use our products and services, offering up easier-to-understand policies, and providing more privacy tools and controls. We hope that you'll take a few minutes on Data Privacy Day to
explore our Privacy Center
and learn about our commitment to this important issue.
Consumer Watchdog wrong on medical records claim
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Posted by Pablo Chavez, Senior Policy Counsel
Earlier today a group called Consumer Watchdog put out a
press release
alleging a "rumored lobbying effort" by Google "aimed at allowing the sale of electronic medical records."
This claim -- based on no evidence whatsoever -- is 100 percent false and unfounded.
Google does not sell health data. In fact, one of our most steadfast privacy principles is that we don't sell our users' personal data, whether it's stored in
Google Health
, Gmail, or in any of our products.
And from a policy perspective, we oppose the sale of medical information in the health care industry.
We are supportive of strong privacy protections for medical records. Consumers own their electronic medical data and should have the right to easily access their information and control who gets to see it. We also believe in data portability, and we support open standards that enable consumers to control their data and take it wherever they'd like.
We have corresponded with Consumer Watchdog several times over the past few months to hear and address their concerns. It's unfortunate that they did not contact us before making today's unfounded statements, because we could have told them that their claims were patently false.
Detecting new "Googlebombs"
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Posted by Matt Cutts, Software Engineer
Though the spirit of change may be in the air in Washington, some things apparently stay the same. Yes, the old online prank called "
Googlebombing
" returned for a brief while recently, when Google searches for the words words [
failure
] and [
cheerful achievement
] returned President Obama's biography as the top result.
You may remember this issue from a few years ago, when the query [
miserable failure
] led to the biography of President Bush. For some reason, all those links pointing to the Bush bio were redirected to Obama's. Some people have asked in the past whether these results are a sign of political bias on Google's part, and we've
explained
that this isn't the case.
Rather than edit these prank results by hand, we developed an
algorithm
a few years ago to detect Googlebombs. We tend not to run it all the time, because it takes some computing power to process our entire web index and because true Googlebombs are quite rare (we joke around the Googleplex that more articles have been written about Googlebombs than there are actual examples of Googlebombs).
After we became aware of this latest Googlebomb, we re-ran our algorithm and it detected the Googlebomb for [
cheerful achievement
] as well as for [
failure
]. As a result, those search queries now return discussion about the Googlebombs rather than the original pages that were returned.
Be sure check out search engine analyst Danny Sullivan's
post
from yesterday. He does a great job explaining the history behind this and how it all works.
Back to the energy future
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Posted by Alice Ryan, Green Energy Project Manager
(Cross-posted from the
Official Google Blog
)
In 1979 President Jimmy Carter installed 32 solar hot water panels on the roof of the White House. Recently a Googler from our Washington D.C. office asked the question, "What ever happened to the Carter panels?" After a little digging, we were able to track down the original panels to
Unity College
, an environmental college in Maine, and bring one of them back to Washington D.C.
So what ever happened to the panels? It turns out that during President Reagan's administration the solar hot water panels were removed from the White House in 1986 and placed in storage. In 1992, Unity College located the panels and transferred them from a General Services Administration warehouse to their campus in Maine. After restoration,16 panels provided their cafeteria with hot water for the next 12 years. In cooperation with Unity College, Google was able to bring one of these panels down to our Washington DC office for display throughout the next year.
At the panels' dedication in 1979, Jimmy Carter stated:
"This dependence on foreign sources of oil is of great concern to all of us. In the year 2000, this solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here supplying cheap, efficient energy. A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people." (To watch video of the dedication, check out this
trailer
for a movie about the panels).
As we welcome our new U.S. president to office this week, we wanted to share this piece of this history with you. Google is committed to a
clean energy future
and we hope that you will join us in supporting the creation and adoption of renewable energy technology — what could still be one of the greatest and most exciting adventures for all of us.
Check out these photos of the panels at Unity College and at Google's Washington DC office.
Kicking off the new year with the State of the Net
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Posted by Rob Tai, Policy Analyst
What key technology and Internet policy issues will face the incoming Administration and new Congress?
Tech policy wonks will try to answer that question at the
5th Annual State of the Net Conference
, taking place tomorrow in Washington, D.C. From telecommunications regulation to online safety, the conference will give policymakers a taste of the most pressing tech policy debates for 2009. Google's very own
Alan Davidson
, Director of U.S. Public Policy and Government Affairs, will participate on a panel entitled, "Policy Issues Facing Cloud Computing."
State of the Net follows the
12th Annual Kickoff Reception & Technology Policy Exhibition
, taking place tonight from 5:00-7:00 PM on Capitol Hill. The exhibition features hands-on demonstrations of the latest gadgets and technologies from major companies and innovators. We'll be showcasing
Virtual Alabama
, an information sharing program the Alabama Department of Homeland Security built using Google Earth to provide a platform for critical infrastructure and emergency preparedness information.
For registration, location, and agenda information, check out the websites for the
Kickoff Reception & Technology Policy Exhibition
and the
State of the Net Conference
. Hope to see you there.
Congress comes to YouTube
Monday, January 12, 2009
Posted by Steve Grove, YouTube News and Politics
As the 111th Congress kicks into gear, many Members of Congress are starting their own YouTube channels. They're posting videos direct from their Washington offices, as well as clips of floor speeches and committee hearings alongside additional behind-the-scenes footage from Capitol Hill. And in conjunction with both the House and Senate, today we're launching two new platforms that will help you access your Senator and Representatives' YouTube channels: The Senate Hub (
youtube.com/senatehub
) and The House Hub (
youtube.com/househub
).
Learn more from the leadership of the House and Senate, here:
These YouTube channels have the potential to make Congress more transparent and accessible than ever before - but only if citizens continue to connect and engage with their government. Find your Senator and Representative on YouTube and make a connection... and if your elected representative doesn't have a YouTube channel yet, give them a call or an email and encourage them to get started.
Powering a Google search
Monday, January 12, 2009
Posted by Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Operations
(Cross-posted from the
Official Google Blog
)
Not long ago, answering a query meant traveling to the reference desk of your local library. Today, search engines enable us to access immense quantities of useful information in an instant, without leaving home. Tools like email, online books and photos, and video chat all increase productivity while decreasing our reliance on car trips, pulp and paper.
But as computers become a bigger part of more people's lives, information technology consumes an increasing amount of energy, and Google takes this impact seriously. That's why we have designed and built the
most
energy efficient data centers
in the world, which means the energy used per Google search is minimal. In fact, in the time it takes to do a Google search, your own personal computer will use more energy than Google uses to answer your query.
Recently, though, others have used much higher estimates, claiming that a typical search uses "half the energy as boiling a kettle of water" and produces 7 grams of CO2. We thought it would be helpful to explain why this number is *many* times too high. Google is fast — a typical search returns results in less than 0.2 seconds. Queries vary in degree of difficulty, but for the average query, the servers it touches each work on it for just a few thousandths of a second. Together with other work performed before your search even starts (such as building the search index) this amounts to 0.0003 kWh of energy per search, or 1 kJ. For comparison, the average adult needs about 8000 kJ a day of energy from food, so a Google search uses just about the same amount of energy that your body burns in ten seconds.
In terms of greenhouse gases, one Google search is equivalent to about 0.2 grams of CO2. The current EU standard for tailpipe emissions calls for 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, but most cars don't reach that level yet. Thus, the average car driven for one kilometer (0.6 miles for those in the U.S.) produces as many greenhouse gases as a thousand Google searches.
We've made great strides to reduce the energy used by our data centers, but we still want clean and affordable sources of electricity for the power that we do use. In 2008 our philanthropic arm,
Google.org
, invested $45 million in breakthrough clean energy technologies. And last summer, as part of our Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal initiative (
RE
), we created an internal engineering group dedicated to exploring clean energy.
We're also working with other members of the IT community to improve efficiency on a broader scale. In 2007 we co-founded the
Climate Savers Computing Initiative
, a group which champions more efficient computing. This non-profit consortium is committed to cutting the energy consumed by computers in half by 2010 — reducing global CO2 emissions by 54 million tons per year. That's a lot of kettles of tea.
Broadband in the "white spaces" going global?
Friday, January 9, 2009
Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel
The FCC is taking its work on "
white spaces
" global. This morning FCC Chairman Kevin Martin
announced
the "White Spaces Fellowship and Training Initiative," giving the Commission a new platform to share advice and insights into "white spaces" with international regulators and spectrum experts.
This comes on the heels of the FCC's
unanimous vote
to open the spectrum to unlicensed use here in the U.S. There are still some important technical hurdles to clear before better and faster wireless Internet connections can be brought to American consumers -- such as a
more flexible approach to power levels
-- but overall the Commission established the right framework.
Kudos to the Chairman for taking these steps to expand the promise of these airwaves to Internet users worldwide. Google looks forward to supporting the FCC's new initiative as a way to help bring high-speed wireless Internet access to everyone, everywhere.
Prior censorship is never a good model
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Posted by Pedro Less Andrade, Policy Counsel, Latin America
The Internet in Argentina is going through some hard times. Despite the fact that search engines have no control over third party content, Argentinean courts have issued preliminary injunctions seeking to place liability on search engines for content found on third party websites. Public officials have requested that search engines remove all search results that may be associated with their names, thereby eliminating any links to news media, opinion pages, online publications, government websites containing information about the officials, and even the court websites where the officials work.
These proceedings threaten both freedom of expression and access to information, and pose a grave threat to the future development of the Internet in Argentina. In the interest of preserving the Internet as a free and open platform and guaranteeing freedom of expression, Google will fight this decision.
For more background and to learn more, check out my post on the
Official Google Blog for Latin America
(in Spanish).
Google Street View helps find kidnapped Mass. child
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Posted by Pablo Chavez, Senior Policy Counsel
An interesting first (at least as far as we're aware): Google's
Street View
imagery was used by police officers to help successfully locate a kidnapped child in rural Virginia. Nine year old
Natalie Maltais, from Athol, Massachusetts, was found safely at
a motel
on Tuesday. You can read more in the
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
.
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