Google’s Larry Page on Internet Privacy: Don’t Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater

Google CEO Larry Page was hesitant to tell the world about the medical condition that was hurting his ability to speak, but publicly sharing his voice troubles helped him realize the value of openness.

Thousands of people with similar conditions replied to him online. If people could only share their medical records anonymously -- and if research doctors could find them online and connect to the patients -- Page estimates that 100,000 lives could be saved in 2014. That same premise should apply to online privacy, Page said.

“I’m just very worried that with Internet privacy, we’re doing the same thing we’re doing with medical records, we’re throwing out the baby with the bathwater. We’re not thinking about the tremendous good that can come from people sharing the right information with the right people in the right ways.”