Google CEO Eric Schmidt stated: “If we target the right ad to the right person at the right time and they click it, we win.” What does this quotation means?

Google is the most convenient and powerful search engine in the Earth. Google is estimated command 66.7% of search engine market share in the United States. However, even many of us like to use Google, some of us might not aware that Google collects the search query of each of its users without their consent.

In May 2007, European privacy regulators had launched an investigation into Google’s data retention and privacy. They concluded that search engines are required to delete or anonymize personally identifiable information collected by them in 6 months. However, Google has so far reacted by cutting its retention period from 18 to 9 months. Google argues that the “retention of search query logs is critical in operating and improving its services, especially it provides adequate security for the users.”

The truth is harsh. Google analyzes search-query logs for revenue-generating purposes, particularly for targeting and maximizing the effectiveness of advertisements, as advertising is the main source of income for Google. In this case, Google has been partnering with DoubleClick, which was a leading company in the field of behavioural advertising for over fifteen years. DoubleClick can follow the online behaviour of an Internet user over all sites on which it serves advertising.

If Google forgoes the data gathering among its users, it will become non-profitable and be closed. On the other hand, data gathering is considered unethical, as every human deserves privacy rights.

This scenario is actually like a prisoner’s dilemma, no matter how Google will still collect data from its users. Hence, every of us must be alert when surfing Internet.