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Google domination of world's information includes your playlists

The Google goal to be master and gatekeeper of the world’s information informs everything the company says, and every action the company takes.
Written by Donna Bogatin, Contributor
Google makes no secret of its intention to dominate the world’s information. The Google goal to be master and gatekeeper of the world’s information informs everything the company says, and every action the company takes.

The infamous Google mission statement:

organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful

For Google CEO Eric Schmidt, the “world’s information” includes individuals’ personal information. Schmidt confirmed such at the Search Engine Strategies Conference last week.

Schmidt also confirmed the company’s belief that the overwhelming access to information that Google enables “justifies what we do.”

Google is now asking individuals to share “your music listening history with Google” (see “Google: AOL snafu 'terrible thing,' share 'your music listening history with Google').

What “justification” does Google give for wanting to track, record, analyze, manipulate, archive and exploit your personal music listening habits?:

We…thought it would be fun for you to see the musical tastes of the broader community.

Google enjoys an uncanny ability to portray every commercially motivated action it takes as an innocent, helpful gesture, almost a “public service.”

Google’s actions are far from innocent, however, and they are always profit driven.

“Google Speak” consistently masks the company’s true objectives, starting with its mission statement. For Google’s mission statement to accurately reflect what it does, it must be amended to include the Google mission responsible for its $113 billion market cap: the sale of advertising.

An accurate recounting of the Google mission would be: organize the world's information and sell ads against it

So how will your playlists help Google achieve its profit mission?:

1) Spur more music searches at Google to enable more AdWords revenues,

2) Drive Google Checkout music sales business…

“Google Speak” on the company's intentions in the music business was at full tilt only two weeks ago at the NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) conference when Chris Sacca, head of business development for Google, told music retailers and distributors, according to Reuters reports:

We are not going to be selling music…We're already in the music business, because we're the complement to the offline life. After people hear the name 'Gnarls Barkley' their next move is to go and check on Google for it.

It is unfortunate that Google regularly misleads both industry and the public about its intentions and motivations.

It is up to the public and industry, however, to consider Google’s trustworthiness when deciding to use Google services, or not.

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