[OSM-talk] Google Map Maker

[cobaco (aka Bart Cornelis)]

On 2008-06-25, Michael Collinson wrote:
> [Off original topic!]
>
> Google certainly do "access" the information sent to gmail accounts
> in order to deliver targeted ads in the account holders web email
> browser. So the original post had me rushing to read the fine
> print.  I had to read it pretty carefully but access is limited to
> the following broad categories and I didn't see any obvious loopholes:
>
> formatting and delivering email; delivering advertisements and
> related links; preventing unsolicited bulk email (spam); to satisfy
> applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental
> request; violation of Terms of Service; protect against imminent harm
> to the rights, property or safety of Google, its users or the public
> as required or permitted by law.
>
> The last two *could* perhaps be used in a heavy-handed fashion perhaps.

could? That goes for any governmental request, from any goverment (as google 
operates worldwide). Plus at this point it's already 'has' not 'could' (see 
e.g. [1]). 

I come across stories of yet another innocent finally clearing his name 
after years of legal battles and having their entire life ruined every 
couple of months (e.g. [2], [3]).

Add to that the blatant power grabbing by police and intelligence agencies 
worldwide under the banner of either or both of the two current whitchhunt 
labels: terrorism and child pornography (watch it, all reason just went out 
the window)

Not to mention things like western, supposedly democratic, governments 
abandoning legal principles like habeas corpus (US), or 'anybody is equal in 
the eyes of the law' (UK, ASBO's), or 'innocent until proven guilty' 
(western governments all over in their threatment of e.g. copyright law, 
wiretapping, and  the latest 'let's track of everybody' laws)

Personally my faith in western judicial systems and political has taken a 
extremely deep dive in the last 7 years or so, we're sliding down the 
slippery slope and I see no signs of it stopping any time soon.

[1] http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/yahoo-helps-china-jail-
dissidents/story.aspx?guid={AF751D08-EE8D-4375-9206-8F9785B37973}
[2] 
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9098598
[3] http://www.topix.com/forum/topstories/TAQRFJOQP26UUVESM
-- 
Cheers, cobaco (aka Bart Cornelis)
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