The United States of Google

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/science/05google.html?ref=technology

In the above posted article, the New York Times discusses Google's current issues with the Country of China. Google has apparently contacted the National Security Agency to see if they would be willing to monitor activities by users on Google including their e-mail and search engine. Due to electronic attacks on the company by who Google claims to come from China; Google is seeking the help from the N.S.A. so that they can avoid regulations that Homeland Security would have to enforce. They are midst secret agreements currently that could possibly place the privacy of Google users world-wide at risk. The electronic attacks were to infiltrate the g-mail accounts of Chinese human right activists. Google is confident that these attacks originated in China and are hoping to find help from the U.S government to take preventative measures.

Google, as many are aware, has redefined the medium that the Internet is to the world at large. Being the world's largest search engine and such an important aspect of the Internet, Google has become almost its own Nation. Google is influencing American government directly, not to mention dealing directly with China, the highest populated Country in the world. This form of Media has become a national asset for a our country that has attempted "hands-off" policies with internal companies. It is very interesting, and sort of appalling, that this stream of information (which is just another American company) has as much influence world-wide. This truly depicts the power that the Media hold over this world.

With the possibility of Google teaming up with the N.S.A., it has become apparent that civilians privacy may be at risk. This directly affect million upon million of users world-wide and will call many questions of civil liberties into discussion. The most intense part of the surveillance that may take place through the N.S.A. is that it world have the planet Earth as its new Venue. Google's hands reach out across the nations and that means so can the N.S.A.'s and American government's. This is still a developing story but it is one that I will be watching carefully, in the next coming weeks and months. I am sure as more develops more and more provocative ideas will be realized concerning the general public and their privacy.

Matt