Big brother Inc

[Commentary] Google Inc. has become a more intrusive and effective "Big Brother" than even George Orwell imagined in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Google knows what you want, think, believe, say, read, write, watch and intend to do.

Consider the ways that Google targets you:

• Your Identity: Google is meticulous about identifying you so they can target you at all times. There's no hiding from Google; they have more creative ways to identify you than anyone -- most without your permission. Google's omnifarious applications harvest your name, street address, personal profile, and a host of digital identifiers including email addresses, IP addresses, wifi addresses, phone numbers, voiceprints (via Google Voice commands), faceprints (via Picasa pictures), your government ID numbers (Social Security, passport, license), your financial information (bank accounts and credit cards) and your medical records. Google is even investing in fingerprinting and DNA identification technologies.
• Your Location: Google tracks you 24-7-365 to better target you. Google knows where you are, where you've been, and even where you plan to go through a variety of applications including Search, Android, Maps, Earth, Street View and Calendar.
• Your Associations and Beliefs: Google profiles you to better target you. Google knows more about whom you associate with and what you believe than Facebook dreams of knowing. Through its 500 free products and services and especially search, Google knows many of your contacts and groups; Google knows your various categories of friends and relatively how close you are to them; Google knows where and when you gather and why; Google even knows your political and religious views intimately because Google tracks what you search, read, watch and do over a long period of time. Google has your heart in their digital crosshairs.
• Your intentions: Google tests and measures you like a lab rat to best target you. Google knows your hopes, desires, fears, and prejudices -- all of your hot buttons. John Battelle famously described Google search as a "database of intentions." Given Google's near-worldwide monopoly of search advertising, Google knows what you like and don't like; what family, health or financial worries you have; what you most want to do; and essentially everything you are doing with your life, work and play.

[Cleland is president of Precursor LLC, a research consultancy for Fortune 500 companies, including companies that compete with Google.]