Google wants to reorganize public information

Google is at the center of controversy yet again. However, this time it is not a lawsuit; the company wants to reorganize the way its search engines can access government databases. Google claims that much public information is very difficult to find because government computer systems are not programmed in a way which allows them to be accessed by search engines. They also claim that people cannot find the information they need to and, since most go about finding this type of information by using search engines like Google, Google should be able organize it all. This is due to the fact that when people cannot find information by using a search engine, they blame the engine, not the website of the information they are looking for. However, this would make everyone's information easier for others to find. One scary example of information that can be found about you is your social security number. That is not something you want others to be able to look up online. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said that the best approach to the problem of identity theft is to collect less personal information and increase the security that is guarding it.

I do not think that Google should try to make it easier to find personal information online. There is already such a lack of privacy online with personal websites and social networking sites that Google does not need to do anything extra to make information even more visible. This is especially true when very personal information such as your social security number is potentially going to be put up. With identity theft being the problem that it is, we do not need anything to make it even easier.