Rob “CmdrTaco” Malda, (of Slashdot fame), did an IAmA on Reddit. Overall interesting but this particular answer caught my attention. When asked “How do you see a company like Google using the data it collects, and specifically your interest in Google+?”:
Data is just data. When I ran Slashdot, I logged everything I practically could because without it, I couldn’t make informed decisions.
What corporations DO with that data will pretty much define the future of the internet. I don’t think people truly understand the implications.
The biggest databases- things like Facebook and Google could be used in so many awful ways. But I collected all the data I possibly could too, and I really tried to impress upon everyone I worked with the RESPONSIBILITY that this data entails. Like, just because you gave me your email address is not permission for me to sell it or spam you.
I hope that the giants play nicely. I want the cool shiny things they make… and I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt in most cases.
The only thing I disagree with is he didn’t mention anything about disclosing to users how that data is used and will be handled. Of course current privacy policies suck, they need to be easier to understand without having a law degree.