The question of “who to trust with my personal/private data” comes up a lot when you work for Google.
Caveats: I work for Google; you should consider my bias. I drunk the Kool-aid the day I accepted the job offer. These opinions are solely my own and do not reflect those of my employer.
Habits are more effective than laws. When you consider to whom you should entrust your data – Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, governments, etc – ask yourself what that entity’s record is on respecting your privacy and acting ethically. Not just “within the bounds of the law” but “does the right thing, even when it is hard”.
Does the entity disclose breaches? Act to resolve them quickly? Do they fight government intrusion or do they cooperate beyond what they are legally compelled to do? Do they fight spy agencies, criminals, and malicious actors within themselves? Is it hard even for an agent of that entity to access your data?
Decide for yourself if your trust is placed well. But you must shift your view from “don’t share my data” to “decide whom to trust”, because all modern computing services depend on placing some level of trust with such an entity.
I know where I stand. Every day I see evidence of nerds just trying to Do the Right Thing at Google. But don’t take my word for it – check the public record.
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