Google is building the *biggest* database

Every which way you look at the moment, Google is pulling hard data about you. This may be contact details, your IP address, your browsing habits and so on.

In a world full of media hype stories about identity theft and so on, you'd think you would see the odd concern about this.

Of course, you do see blog posts, never-ending forum discussions, etc amongst marketers or corporates but the reality is that, I think, we are all far too trusting of the G word. It's almost a blind spot, it seems to me, on our horizons.

I am writing a book at present on PPC. Part of it is about Google innovations, up and coming apps, new extensions and so on. The more I look into it, the more I am beginning to wonder what exactly Google is gathering all this data **FOR**.

Contact forms in PPC ads that go through Google. Request to calls that go via a Google number that you set up as a merchant. Local search that has your mobile phone nailed down with a few meters of your current position.

It is without a doubt - purely commercial. With a database full of mobile numbers, email addresses, home and business contact details, GPS positions etc, Google has a head start on anyone, any business, anywhere in the world, whatever business sector it decided to dabble its toes in.

And we know now that Google will go anywhere. And good. I love the shake up of the mobile and telecoms infrastructure sector that follows a Google announcement of free wi-fi or universal FTTH. Google's involvement in that particular game is world changing. As long as it's strategic. If Google owned and ran every network in the world, and therefore controlled all that data, I have to admit I would be nervous, and concerned.

But, in the meantime, with amazingly in-depth info about what each of the individuals and corporates search upon or buy on your ENGINE ...well, pick your target!

Is it more than that? Well, I have to admit, as a writer, that if you wanted to rewrite 1984, then we currently have a company who are accessing phenomenal amounts of personal data from people who are unbelievably trusting just because Google has become a household word.

I'm not saying it's wrong or right - just....shouldn't we question how much personal data Google has on each of us? Do we know anything about Google's network and data security? We all know that most virii (viruses) have been aimed at those browsers or Operating systems with the most users, so surely Google is a prime and absolute target?

If all of the emails, documents and dates you currently have on the free version of Gmail, Google docs, Google calendar were suddenly exposed, would that be an issue to you?

And what if that data became available for sale, as your credit card details may already be, to people who are not as seemingly trustworthy as Google? What if they were leaked? After all, Google is an American company. Is it a high priority target for 'attacks'?

Look how the world has been since the banks went pear shaped.

What would happen if someone took down Google?

Economically? Even a blip on Wordpress last week cost a fortune in lost e-commerce. Imagine if Adwords went down.....? The waves from that type of failure would be global and affect every business with a PPC campaign. Just a thought.

Most people haven't a clue how to find anything on the Net - hey, I've been in the internet marketing field for 15 years....I know! If their browser isn't set up to find a search engine, the majority of people are stuffed. 10+ years I have been watching dogpile.com, google.com, yahoo.com etc list in the top search engine terms for the month. If you know the URL, you don't need to search, folks!! It's called a location bar....type it in there. Nope? OK

Would you know, instantly, in a Family Fortunes type quiz show, 5 other search engines today in 2010?

Socially, many people probably would be reliant on properties which are now owned by Google. Youtube, for one. Do you know another place to post your 'must be shared right now' 30sec video? Ever heard of metacafe.com, dropshots, flickr etc? Nope, probably not. Do you have an iPhone app for any alternatives? Do you know what to search for to find one on a search engine other than Google?

I am just wondering whether we have all become too reliant on Google. And too trusting. After all, sadly, it seems to be human nature that we will support the underdog until they become successful and then we try to destroy them. Or is that just celeb culture and the Brits? I don't think so.

I believe we need many flowers to bloom to make the most of the amazing tech we have available to us. Yet, we seem to be manufacturing a world where only one can survive. I'm not sure this is right. For all the reasons above, and more.

And just to finish, I'd like to wish Nikki Pilkington congrats on her new sproglet. We've known each other quite a long time, had our differences over the years, and when she's back, I would hope she will have something to add.

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