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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUsing its Wealth, Google Has Become a DC Lobbying Juggernaut—And They Still Know Everything About U
Google knows everything about its users, but its not very transparent about its political influence.Public Citizen recently released a 60-page report, titled "Mission Creep-y: Google Is Quietly Becoming One of the Nation's Most Powerful Political Forces While Expanding Its Information-Collection Empire. The report details how Google went from the research project of two Stanford grad students to what is arguably the worlds biggest information technology empire, and how it amassed a giant information-collection empire and is now gaining significant political interest.
Growing Political Influence
According to the report, Google is the biggest lobbying spending corporation in the United States. In 2014, the firm has commissioned a force of more than 100 lobbyists, about 80% of whom are former federal government employees, to do its bidding in Washington, D.C., and has deployed agents in numerous states to grease the path for approvals for its groundbreaking technologies and keep regulators at bay."
While Google knows practically everything about its users, its not very transparent about its political influence and lobbying power. But there is enough information to piece together the puzzle. Using data from the Center for Responsive Politics, the report found that during the first three quarters of 2014, the information technology behemoth spent the most on federal lobbying among corporations, some $13.6 million. By the end of 2014, that figure should reach $18 million.
http://www.alternet.org/using-its-wealth-google-has-become-dc-lobbying-juggernaut-and-they-still-know-everything-about-us?paging=off¤t_page=1#bookmark
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)things like 'google-analytics.com' code snippets are. Virtually every major website I visit online uses various google javascript code libraries.
seveneyes
(4,631 posts)Having these in your hosts file may help ...
127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 google-analytics.com
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)Along with most of the ad sites. /etc/hosts is the best thing since sliced bread.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)The Google spy car made to our wee town.
All the addresses are off by 1/4 mile or more, some are off by 10 miles.
They have businesses in the south of the county mapped as being in the north county, stores are mislabeled, etc.
I have no intention of telling them.
olddots
(10,237 posts)We search they search. We search they search us. ...
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)Great article madokie. But I still want to know what they are buying with all those $$$. Protection from being penalized for wrong-doing? Greased wheels for wrong-doing? Just to feel involved?
They already help the govt spy on us...in their quest for "Don't be Evil". Bwahahahahaha