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E-Marketing Performance Blog

Google's Free Access

I’ve constantly been openly skeptical whenever Google releases a new “tool”. Primarily because each new tool seems to server a very small purpose for the user, but a significant purpose for Google; one of data collection.

Looks like Google has done it again with the roll out of Google Secure Access, available in limited locations in the SF Bay area.

What is Google Secure Access?

Google Secure Access is a down loadable client application that allows users to establish a more secure WiFi connection.

Why would I want to download and install Google Secure Access?

Google Secure Access allows you to establish a more secure connection while using Google WiFi. By using Google Secure Access, your Internet traffic will be encrypted, preventing others from viewing the information you transmit.

And here is the best one:

Why did Google develop Google Secure Access?

One of our engineers recognized that secure WiFi was virtually non-existent at most locations. As a result, he used his 20% project time to begin an initiative to offer users more secure WiFi access. Google Secure Access is the result of this endeavor.

Actually, that question is better answered by clicking into the privacy policy>

Google may log some information from your web page requests as may the websites that you visit. We do this to understand how Google Secure Access is being used and to improve our services. Google Secure Access does not log cookies and strips potentially sensitive query data from the end of requests to help better protect your privacy.

Google also logs a small set of non-personally identifiable information — such as routing information, session durations and operating system and Google Secure Access client version numbers — in order to create your Google Secure Access connection, understand how people are using Google Secure Access and help us maintain the Google Secure Access client.

There it is. Google is/will use Secure Access to log, store, and analyze data collected from those using the network. I’m sure we can read between the line and understand that the reason to log this info is not necessarily for the reasoning stated. Recent recognition of serious flaws in their algorithm, which are brought to light via Googlebombing , has put Google on the fastrack to finding new, less manipulatable, data that can be incorporated into their ranking algorithms. Links worked great until link spamming became a business of it’s own.

I don’t fault Google for releasing products such as Secure Access or Web Accelerator, but I do think it’s important to realize that there is much more than meets the eye when these tools are made available. What makes that most obvious is that Google offers these tools for free so you know that they’ve got to be getting something out of it other than just providing something for the common good of mankind. Let’s not forget, Google is a big profit business.

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