Creepy Google

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Google has to be the creepiest company around.



  • Domicinator

    This is why I switched email to .me when iCloud went live, and I never looked back. Unfortunately, Apple is forcing me to keep my Google account active, because they will not let me merge my gmail account (the user name on my iTunes account) with my .me account. If I close my gmail account, I’d have to start all over again with the app store, iTunes Match, etc.

    I have lost hope that Apple would correct this. I don’t log into Google EVER, but I have to keep it active because of Apple’s rules.

    • tylernol

      have you tried calling Apple to get it changed?

      • Norman

        What’s the email?

      • Domicinator

        Yep–tried to call their support. My original iTunes id was a gmail account. My new one is a me account. Won’t let me do it online and I called their support and they just said what it said on the site–can’t merge a .me address with a gmail address. Haven’t tried merging it with an iCloud address though–maybe I should try that.

    • lkalliance

      I have a gmail account for one reason: so that I can attach my personal email domain to my outgoing emails. Unfortunately, iCloud will not allow this: I am always [email account][at]mac.com, and cannot make me something[at]somethingelse.com. So I route all my SMTP traffic through my Google address.

      That’s the only reason I have it at all. Would love to not have it.

  • Ben Randolph

    I’m not sure this makes Google creepy. This seems like fairly usual “standard operating procedure” for most social networking companies. It’s also a byproduct of our system, but so are all the exciting starups that are creating niche products for those that want an alternative. Facebook, Google and Apple all have their own walled gardens, but each has put their own twist on what is important to have in their respective walled gardens. Even this website allows “creepy” Google+ as part of its commenting system. Does that not somehow make The Loop also “creepy.” They are all necessary intricacies of our Internet and its spreading influence.

    “The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers. ” Pricess Leia

    • http://twitter.com/snookasnoo Idon’t Know

      It makes them all creepy but both Facebook and Google are the creepiest because of the slimy way they deceive users. Facebook and Google are hardly walled gardens as they share peoples personal infomration with their advertisers and Apple does not. They are not “necessary” at all. I use none of them.

    • kibbles

      it’s creepy that Google now automatically creates a public Google+ profile for you — whether you want one or not. and links your behavior data to it — again whether you want them to or not.

      and google is not a “social networking company”. theyre an ad company. which is what makes it creepy.

      • tylernol

        both google and facebook are ad companies.

  • tylernol

    not necessarily the creepiest, but the days of “we keep your usage anonymous” are long gone. If you are not paying for the product, then you are the product…

  • David

    Do you use gmail?

  • kibbles

    id bet this is why Google dropped free Google Apps (gmail for custom domains) — they lose the ability to link actions to personally identifying data.

  • stefn

    Apple sells products to you; Google sells you to products.

    • http://www.johncblandii.com John C. Bland II

      Apple sells you too (hello iAd).

      • stefn

        True. Guess it’s what’s at the heart of the org. Apple is being dragged kicking and screaming into social media and maps and ads and such. It’s a computer company at heart still; all it ever wanted to do was build computers for the rest of us.

        • http://www.johncblandii.com John C. Bland II

          Kicking and screaming is a stretch, they could use someone else or just not do it (choice), but I agree on them being different companies at their core.

          I’d say they didn’t start as a “snoop” as it was all about search first. Now they are definitely funded through ad revenue (sure isn’t Android). :-)

          • stefn

            Apple will never again allow a third party to constrain its growth. Way back, Microsoft burned it; Adobe certainly did. And Schmidt walked out of the Apple board meeting with the iPhone a glimmer in his eye. So, no, Apple won’t let someone else do maps, now that it realizes that maps are on the critical path.

          • http://www.johncblandii.com John C. Bland II

            I have no problem with that but to say they are being dragged “kicking and screaming” is an overstatement. They can’t and will never be owners of all tech in the iOS ecosystem and that is fine.

          • stefn

            I completely agree. We as iOS users are the beneficiaries of the great map war.

          • http://www.johncblandii.com John C. Bland II

            Both OS users win. Android lets you replace default apps so yeah…you get what you pay for and that’s refreshing.

  • http://www.johncblandii.com John C. Bland II

    How’s that creepy?