Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You?

2. Information Flows and Leakage

Every time someone sits down at a computer and accesses the web, that person actually trusts a great many people and organizations with his or her personal information, before even reaching the servers of Google or some other online company. To understand how online companies fit into the equation of web-based information disclosure, we must first understand this end-to-end big picture. The best way to understand this is to follow the flow of information from an end user’s computer through its communication across the Internet until it reaches the servers of Google or another online company. Information is a slippery thing—once you lose control of it, it could end up in places and be used in ways you didn’t intend ...