Sen. Paul defends Google, Facebook on privacy

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) came to Google and Facebook's defense when asked about their commitment to protecting users' privacy.

Sen Paul, who is currently on a fundraising trip to Silicon Valley, took issue with Wired reporter Spencer Ackerman's comments about the two Web giants making money off of people's personal information, and their mixed reputation on protecting users' online privacy. "That’s not exactly true. I don’t entirely accept that premise. What I would say is you can track with Google, and share some information to get a service. It’s an exchange," Sen Paul told Ackerman. "As long as it’s part of an exchange and they uphold your contract, I’m all for that." Pivoting from talking about the companies' track record on online privacy, Sen Paul said he worries about the government using the Patriot Act to obtain a sweeping amount of people's information from companies — all with immunity from future lawsuits.