I know that a bunch of more-important-than-me people are trying to figure that one out. In short, Google wants to pay $3B for Double Click. Microsoft (look who’s talking…) is saying that the deal will create “the largest database of user information the world has ever known” and warns that user privacy is at risk.

Personally, I think that Google, which has nothing to gain but everything to lose if it mistreats personal data, is a fairly safe choice when it comes to data handling and privacy. Compare Google to the 1000 web 2.0 companies that deal with sensitive data every day. You know the stats: 5 out of 100 start-ups will make it. What will happen with all the data they have gathered after operations are shut down? Let me guess, at least some of it will be kept by the founders or even ex-employees.

To illustrate the idea, I made up a web 2.0 startup. It is called: IILoveMyNeighbors.com Continue reading “Google and Double Click: Is it really that bad?” →