Google Cloud's API knows the sort of thing you like to look at

Google Cloud's Natural Language API has become a bit more, er, insightful: it can now sort content into 700 different categories, such as Health, Hobbies & Leisure and Law & Government. This clustering allows businesses to tailor the info they deliver to customers to match those customers' preferences. Google also added the …

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm looking forward to the next paperback to be written...

...apparently it's going to be called Fuck Off Google

[FuzzyWuzzys]

"If I know the tweets and news and other texts you consume, and I cluster them, then I can very quickly determine your set of interests / sentiments / whatever clustering regime is applied,"

Yes, and that's the point. They're not allowed to gather info directly from you unless you grant them the privilege. However they no longer need to get direct access to you, they can work out who you are and what you like simply by piecing your life back together from the trail you leave behind. Why do think big corps like Google and Facebook aren't fussed about your granting them access to directly collect info about you? They simply have so much reach and so much data about you they know all about you already!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The question is: do you trust?

Certainly not Google or Amazon or Microsoft or... or ... that for sure.

That's why I limit my use of them, delete their effing cookies, block their slurping and everything else.

I am not a Number.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I am not a Number.

No, you're 4 numbers between 0 and 255 and a port number.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: you're 4 numbers between 0 and 255 and a port number.

... better upgrade my network to ipv6 straight away then. That'll sort 'em... :-D

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I am not a Number.

I'm just me - 127.0.0.1

[jake]

Re: I am not a Number.

I am localhost!

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: I am not a Number.

"I am localhost!"

And so is my wife!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: you're 4 numbers between 0 and 255 and a port number.

All my use of Google etc is via an anonomiser. Those 4 numbers now have a very different meaning.

You can keep your activities out of the reach of Google etc if you try.

Got an HTC phone? Tough. It will more than likely be a Google phone before long. Google are apparently about to buy HTC.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: you're 4 numbers between 0 and 255 and a port number.

Do you have a clue what you are talking about?

Nearly all Android phones are "Google Phones".

[MyffyW]

Re: The question is: do you trust?

Turns out I am actually a number, combined with a letter, as Google gently invited me to view underwear in my exact size.

Sleazy algorithms.

[tiggity]

fun

Although, what they know of you depends on what you do, so you are stuffed if you reveal lots of genuine details of your life /opinions / interests on FaceBook, Twitter etc.

But if you do not (or consistently cultivate an online persona that is very unlike the real you) then you put a spanner in the works.

.. maybe do the same trick as with loyalty cards (keep swapping them between friends so that lots of people use them and so products purchased make no sense (if you pick a decent demographic of people to shuffle between obv)) and have rotating guest authors on your Twitter, FaceBook (obv that needs you to not care in the slightest about what gets posted on them!)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: fun

The difference between a loyalty card and Google, is it's easy not to have interactions with the loyalty card.

Pay cash, do not swipe.

Avoid Google...almost impossible for 99% of people.