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Why Google is reading your Docs
© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2017 ^ | 11/01/17 | James Titcomb

Posted on 11/01/2017 8:53:29 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines

Several users of Google's online word processing service, Google Docs, were surprised on Tuesday when their documents were blocked for violating its policies.

While Google quickly restored them, blaming a botched update that mistakenly locked users out of the documents, the episode revealed what many people did not realise - Google is monitoring the ostensibly private files stored in Docs.

Google Drive's terms of service prohibit spam, violent or hate speech, pornography, the spread of confidential information and so on. They apply only to files that are shared, so those kept to yourself are presumably exempt.

A Google spokesman said that Docs and other files in Google Drive are policed by an algorithm that looks out for abuse of its policies, and automatically blocks files if they are deemed to violate them. Unlike some systems, which escalate a suspected issue to a moderator, there is no human review involved.

The spokesman said that the main reason its algorithm reads files is to prevent computer viruses or spam spreading. It is unclear if Google's algorithm is used to check for pornography or other abuse of its policies, or if the policy applies equally to work and personal accounts.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: censorship; google; googledocs; googledrive; privacy
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1 posted on 11/01/2017 8:53:30 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Google is evil.

Do not use them.


2 posted on 11/01/2017 8:54:54 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: 2banana

They rule over the peons for your own good—nothing to see here. :-)


3 posted on 11/01/2017 8:57:07 AM PDT by cgbg (Hidden behind the social justice warrior mask is corruption and sexual deviance.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Policy? I’m adopting a no google policy.


4 posted on 11/01/2017 8:57:34 AM PDT by Bullish (Whatever it takes to MAGA)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
It would be nice if ALL porno emails did not even make it to my spam filter.

And, it would be nice it they reduced the 30-day emptying of my spam folder down to one day.

5 posted on 11/01/2017 9:01:46 AM PDT by Slyfox (Are you tired of winning yet?)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

First it’s the service provider. Then the government realizes it can poke around in your stuff. Nothing is private.

ANY data that is collected is something the government can and will look at, legally or not.


6 posted on 11/01/2017 9:03:04 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Leftism is an elaborate system for hiding shame behind a cheap mash of virtue. Klavan.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

I have never used their document service. Thankfully.


7 posted on 11/01/2017 9:13:30 AM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: I want the USA back

It’s not only not private, it’s forever. Think you deleted it? Guess again. Somebody somewhere will dig it up if you tick off the wrong person or publicly display incorrect thoughts.


8 posted on 11/01/2017 9:15:35 AM PDT by Tallguy (Twitter short-circuits common sense. Please engage your brain before tweeting.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Because they can.

https://www.zoho.com/


9 posted on 11/01/2017 9:49:44 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

All of this “cloud” nonsense is crazy! People are putting their most important things online where these corporations can data mine the information, sell information about you, sell your secrets to other corporations, and then give all the info to the NSA on the basis of blanket National Security Letters.

If you put it online you need to realize that you just shared it. Period.


10 posted on 11/01/2017 9:57:43 AM PDT by MeganC (Democrat by birth, Republican by default, Conservative by principle.)
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To: SunkenCiv

How did you manage to post something that doesn’t relate to another post?

Trying to get context on this post I looked at the referring post and found nothing.

Is that an undocumented feature?!

And who is Zoho, and why wont they do the same crap Google does to their “customers” in the end, once you hand over everything you have to them?


11 posted on 11/01/2017 10:12:59 AM PDT by Regulator
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To: Regulator

I didn’t.


12 posted on 11/01/2017 10:19:11 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
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To: Army Air Corps

Why does anyone use the cloud? Don’t you have a hard drive? A thumb drive? What is the point?


13 posted on 11/01/2017 10:23:59 AM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (Islam delenda est.)
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To: Former Proud Canadian
Why does anyone use the cloud? Don’t you have a hard drive? A thumb drive? What is the point?

One of the main reasons is the average person is irresponsible with their data. They don't backup. They don't safeguard the data. Thumb drives get lost or stolen. Hard drives crash.

With a cloud solution, data is available on any device once you are authenticated. The cloud is the main reason you can log into your email account from any device in the world and have access to the same emails. The cloud is the main reason your data follows you wherever you go. And if you work for a corporation (that requires cloud storage), they can immediately eliminate your access to their data should your employment be terminated.

There are a lot of other reasons but bottom line is that the cloud is here to stay. Ironically, the computer industry started out with "dumb terminals" interacting with a mainframe and now it's coming full circle.

14 posted on 11/01/2017 10:36:06 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

I’ve always wondered if Google is just a front corporation for US intelligence. Makes perfect sense....


15 posted on 11/01/2017 10:39:04 AM PDT by nesnah (Liberals - the petulant children of politics)
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To: SamAdams76
I must be getting old. Sending your data to a third party like google is just plain nuts to me, but what do I know?

Giving up any security for your data outweighs all other factors, including convenience, as far as I am concerned.

16 posted on 11/01/2017 1:32:41 PM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (Islam delenda est.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Corporations using Google Docs forfeit any intellectual property rights.

Many corporations use Google Docs. Stupidly.


17 posted on 11/01/2017 1:35:18 PM PDT by CodeToad (CWII is coming. Arm Up! They Are!)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Their “not hate speech” rules is how Dr. Jordan Peterson found both his YouTube channel demonetized AND Google mail and Google documents blocked for a time.


18 posted on 11/01/2017 4:00:53 PM PDT by tbw2
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Does Microsoft do the same with Outlook.com and Office 365?


19 posted on 11/01/2017 6:47:18 PM PDT by rmlew ("Mosques are our barracks, minarets our bayonets, domes our helmets, the believers our soldiers.")
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
Why Google is reading your Docs

Because they can and you make them available.

20 posted on 11/01/2017 6:49:30 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles! (pink bow))
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