A few weeks ago, I was talking with my father-in-law and the subject of privacy came up regarding Google. I observed that it would be business suicide for Google to allow a third party access to data from its users. It does, and in an organized, cooperative way.

Google's "back door access" that it provided for the United States Government is actually how Chinese hackers, among others, have gained access to reams of data from searchs, Google email accounts, credit card information, etc...

So, I'm shocked. First they participated in the censoring of data in China, and now this very serious breach of privacy.

Troubling in a different way is the near-monopoly they (are planning to) have on literature.