Google, Safari and our final privacy wake-up call

[Commentary] Unfortunately, we will continue to experience privacy break-ins across the Web for one simple reason: the secret to winning the future of the Internet lies in the ability to monetize all this personal data.

This is especially true, now that many people are shifting their Web consumption habits to mobile devices, which theoretically enable real-time, 24/7 tracking. At the end of the day, Web firms need your data for essentially two reasons: (1) to deliver a more personalized experience for users or (2) to sell this data to advertisers and third parties. Thus far, we’ve given companies like Google a free pass, taking them at their word that they are not somehow “evil,” that they are, indeed, delivering a superior, personalized experience. The answer to privacy break-ins is not more government regulation of the Web, as several Congressmen are now urging after Google's latest privacy-related woes. Rather, the answer is making it easier for individuals to monitor and self-police their Web presence. Safari needs to be a final wake-up call: We all need to be more vigilant about what data is being shared, with whom it is being shared, and where.