In a youtube video clip in animation style, Insidegoogle.com presents us with the evil side of google
„Hey Kids, get your free ice cream!“ the animated Google CEO Eric Schmidt shouts, luring the kids of an American suburb. They follow his colourful little bus, while Schmidt explains in an aside: „Of course there is no such thing as free ice cream“, ordering a colleague in the back of the vehicle to bodyscan the poor kids. Of course he already knows their favourite flavours. He then shocks them, revealing all kinds of private information about their parents. The clip capitalises on his notorious statement about online privacy from a CNBC interview: “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” Which of course means that one just needs to behave well, then there is no problem – so is that what Google tries to tell us with their slogan „Don’t be evil – (we will know it anyway)?
Does some streetviewing - Google CEO Eric Schmidt
Eric Schmidt probably would not like his animation alter ego, its a spooky caricature. The clips has been launched by Consumer Watchdog group, demanding the government to create a so-called “Do Not Track Me” list to prevent online companies from gathering private online details. At present, the clip is shown 36 times per day on a jumbotron in Times Square. And though many comments on Youtube ridiculed the video or blamed the insidegooglers to be paranoid, it can’t be denied that there is a growing awareness in the US about online privacy.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ouof1OzhL8k
