Google goes big brother again

[Drewbert]

As you may have heard, our upstream advertising partner will soon enact policy changes that require all parking companies to pass through contact details for all domain owners monetizing traffic on their network. This new ecosystem provides many key benefits to our partners, including increased fraud protection, better targeted traffic quality scoring, decreased clawbacks and domain blocking, and the promise of more robust monetization options.

Anyone else see the irony in Google requiring all the parking company clientelle details, but still enforces a "you are not allowed to admit who we are" policy?

I'm concerned that whoever this "upstream advertising partner" is could be using our traffic for nefarious purposes, and I require it's contact details, so I can run checks on it.

I wonder how far I would get taking that line?

And all the "key benefits" sound like bullshit to me.

[squirrel]

..and the promise of more robust monetization options

:rolleyes:

[JamesD]

..and the promise of more robust monetization options

It's true...for them.

[123]

they are liars.

For months they have been desperately trying to associate my gmail account with a phone number asking me to give it to them whenever they had the opportunity.

apparently this didn't work too well so they have to resort to scare tactics now. when i tried to log-in to my account today they asked me to give my phone number in order to "alert" me of intruders via SMS.

i predict one day you will get a message: we have stopped spidering your website because of suspicious activity please fax us a copy of your passport in order to continue to receive traffic.

Google does not want their brand to be associated with parking(because it is considered "evil" by some) but they surely like to receive leads at a discount for their advertising platform.

so i think they are phony bastards.

another thing to consider:

if this is just about fraud prevention they could change the system so that google knows which domains are associated without revealing the personal information of the owner.

domains were one of the few places on the net that lived relatively independent of google and were spared from their unpredicatable behaviour and moods. Now even domain owners have to live under the google rule.

immagine how your personal data could be used.

the adsense fraud protection was a complete failure giving lifetime bans to innocent publishers destroying their income and business.

now what if they decide to ban you because they feel your are trying to cheat them and their fraud protection algo fails. could they issue lifetime bans for all parking accounts and domains associated with your personal details?

just like some adsense publishers that woke up one day and found their account permanently banned and their payment withheld.

[123]

This new ecosystem provides many key benefits to our partners, including increased fraud protection, better targeted traffic quality scoring, decreased clawbacks and domain blocking, and the promise of more robust monetization options.

in practice this means they can now ban domains not just on traffic but on contact information.

They can say guy XY sent us poor quality traffic in the past now all new domains submitted by guy XY will be blocked automatically.

or guy XY sent us f fraud traffic on a domain thus he is a scammer and therefore all present and future domains associated with him are potential fraud traffic domains and will be blocked automatically.

this could be like many of the other google style fraud prevention measures. they will hit a few who truly deserve it but take down far more innocent ones.

fraud will not stop because of this because true scammers will always find ways to game the system.

[domainguru]

in practice this means they can now ban domains not just on traffic but on contact information.

They can say guy XY sent us poor quality traffic in the past now all new domains submitted by guy XY will be blocked automatically.

or guy XY sent us f fraud traffic on a domain thus he is a scammer and therefore all present and future domains associated with him are potential fraud traffic domains and will be blocked automatically.

this could be like many of the other google style fraud prevention measures. they will hit a few who truly deserve it but take down far more innocent ones.

fraud will not stop because of this because true scammers will always find ways to game the system.

or just reduce the % they pay out. That's even more insidious than being banned. They pay out on sliding scale according to how "scammy" you are. Great for them as usual.

But hey, they've got no competition - that's the problem. Any monopoly will gravitate to behaving this like.

Where's the f***ing competition? That's the only thing that can change this constant battering to domain owners. At least Adsense has some competitors, so Google have to pay out decent %. For domain parking, there is no competition. Sad :no:

[bumblebee man]

Not domain related but big brother Google related:

This is the permission Google wants when you install their search app on an Android device.


This application has access to the following:

Your accounts

contacts data in Google accounts

Allows apps to access the contacts and profile information of account(s) stored on this Android device.

add or remove accounts

Allows the app to perform operations like adding and removing accounts, and deleting their password.

use accounts on the device

Allows the app to request authentication tokens.

Services that cost you money

directly call phone numbers

Allows the app to call phone numbers without your intervention. This may result in unexpected charges or calls. Note that this doesn't allow the app to call emergency numbers. Malicious apps may cost you money by making calls without your confirmation.

send SMS messages

Allows the app to send SMS messages. This may result in unexpected charges. Malicious apps may cost you money by sending messages without your confirmation.

Hardware controls

take pictures and videos

Allows the app to take pictures and videos with the camera. This permission allows the app to use the camera at any time without your confirmation.

change your audio settings

Allows the app to modify global audio settings such as volume and which speaker is used for output.

Your location

approximate location (network-based)

Allows the app to get your approximate location. This location is derived by location services using network location sources such as cell towers and Wi-Fi. These location services must be turned on and available to your device for the app to use them. Apps may use this to determine approximately where you are.

precise location (GPS and network-based)

Allows the app to get your precise location using the Global Positioning System (GPS) or network location sources such as cell towers and Wi-Fi. These location services must be turned on and available to your device for the app to use them. Apps may use this to determine where you are, and may consume additional battery power.

Your messages

edit your text messages (SMS or MMS)

Allows the app to write to SMS messages stored on your tablet or SIM card. Malicious apps may delete your messages. Allows the app to write to SMS messages stored on your phone or SIM card. Malicious apps may delete your messages.

read your text messages (SMS or MMS)

Allows the app to read SMS messages stored on your tablet or SIM card. This allows the app to read all SMS messages, regardless of content or confidentiality. Allows the app to read SMS messages stored on your phone or SIM card. This allows the app to read all SMS messages, regardless of content or confidentiality.

Network communication

control Near Field Communication

Allows the app to communicate with Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, cards, and readers.

pair with Bluetooth devices

Allows the app to view the configuration of Bluetooth on the tablet, and to make and accept connections with paired devices. Allows the app to view the configuration of the Bluetooth on the phone, and to make and accept connections with paired devices.

full network access

Allows the app to create network sockets and use custom network protocols. The browser and other applications provide means to send data to the internet, so this permission is not required to send data to the internet.

Your personal information

read sensitive log data

Allows the app to read from the system's various log files. This allows it to discover general information about what you are doing with the tablet, potentially including personal or private information. Allows the app to read from the system's various log files. This allows it to discover general information about what you are doing with the phone, potentially including personal or private information.

read your contacts

Allows the app to read data about your contacts stored on your tablet, including the frequency with which you've called, emailed, or communicated in other ways with specific individuals. This permission allows apps to save your contact data, and malicious apps may share contact data without your knowledge. Allows the app to read data about your contacts stored on your phone, including the frequency with which you've called, emailed, or communicated in other ways with specific individuals. This permission allows apps to save your contact data, and malicious apps may share contact data without your knowledge.

read calendar events plus confidential information

Allows the app to read all calendar events stored on your tablet, including those of friends or co-workers. This may allow the app to share or save your calendar data, regardless of confidentiality or sensitivity. Allows the app to read all calendar events stored on your phone, including those of friends or co-workers. This may allow the app to share or save your calendar data, regardless of confidentiality or sensitivity.

add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners' knowledge

Allows the app to add, remove, change events that you can modify on your tablet, including those of friends or co-workers. This may allow the app to send messages that appear to come from calendar owners, or modify events without the owners' knowledge. Allows the app to add, remove, change events that you can modify on your phone, including those of friends or co-workers. This may allow the app to send messages that appear to come from calendar owners, or modify events without the owners' knowledge.

read your Web bookmarks and history

Allows the app to read the history of all URLs that the Browser has visited, and all of the Browser's bookmarks. Note: this permission may not be enforced by third-party browsers or other applications with web browsing capabilities.

Storage

modify or delete the contents of your USB storage modify or delete the contents of your SD card

Allows the app to write to the USB storage. Allows the app to write to the SD card.

System tools

prevent tablet from sleeping prevent phone from sleeping

Allows the app to prevent the tablet from going to sleep. Allows the app to prevent the phone from going to sleep.

modify system settings

Allows the app to modify the system's settings data. Malicious apps may corrupt your system's configuration.


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox&hl=en

WTF?

[Rubber Duck]

No, but at least it does indicate that Google are in Parking for the Long Haul. They would not do this if they were about to pull the plug which would leave us in an even more difficult position.

I also have some sympathy with Google. Domainers on the whole are a complete bunch of tossers and I am sure they are the subject of a great deal of fraudulent behaviour. It is essential for all of us that they get on top of this problem, because ultimately it is our earning that are being scammed. Google is not going to take a loss, so they just take it out of our hide.

Does this mean that we will be treated fairly. No, probably not. But it could be a step towards improving things. We will just have to wait and see.

What I would like to see from Google is a clean slate, because as they have admitted their existing fraud detection systems stink.

It would be good if you were also judged on the overall performance of you portfolio rather than having domains picked off one at a time. A couple of days on a domain with traffic that arbitruarily triggers a banning which can obviously last for years. If somehow the statiscal vagueries could be seen in the context of traffic of a wider portfolio that might actually be a good thing, provided such judgements are not made by some f*ckhead American who thinks everyone should speak English, there is only one writing system, and has the foggiest clue what an IDN is therefore bans everythign that starts with xn--!!!

[Rubber Duck]

Not domain related but big brother Google related:

This is the permission Google wants when you install their search app on an Android device.



https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox&hl=en

WTF?

Thank fuck for Centrum and Seznam.

Czech Republic may become the last bastion of free speach. :eek:

[123]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/02/08/google_says_there_is_nothing_to_fear_about_information_collection/



He also said that Google's location-tracking was thoroughly benign, and only used as a means to help you. "Already, when you walk around, at Google we kind of know where you're at," he said. "And we can say, 'Oh, it's lunchtime, there's a restaurant you like just around the corner that has a special on."

He did admit, however, that some folks might find such surveillance a bit off-putting. "That's either helpful, or that's frightening," he said. "It depends on how you like that."

But, Jones asserted, Google is eminently trustworthy – more trustworthy than your government, in fact. "I think you should decide the following thing: do you want the world's information available to you? And if you do, it's gotta come from one of two sources: either your government – or like the United Nations or some other government – or its gotta come from a company," he said.

"So who do you trust more, Google or your administration? That's a good question. Who do you trust more, Google or your mayor?"

To Jones, the answer is simple: Google. "We have a pretty unblemished record of doing our very best to serve every human," he said. "We serve truth and comprehensiveness to every human as best we possibly can."

And how well is Google doing in its noble service of truth? "So far," Jones said, "I think we get an 'A' – or even maybe 'A+'."

in my opinion there should be a law against doing such tracking or logging by default just because you use google's free services unless the user clearly equested it and opted-in.

in my opinion this is illegal and privacy is essentially dying.

[Drewbert]

http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/03/chameleon-botnet-steals-millions-from-advertisers-with-fake-mouseclicks/

[domainsell]

So is google liable if they put trademarked ads up on your generic site. The parking companies say they aren't responsible for putting up trademarked ads on a site and if google gets even more info and still runs trademarked ads on a generic site should they be responsible to protect you and the domain from the trademark owner and a possible URDP? I specifically don't park my generic names that have trademarks for them because the trademark owner could try and steal the name. The parking company leaves you high and dry to fight for yourself and they were the ones that ran the ads. Godaddy automatically runs ads on names as soon as they are registered. The wrong ad could cost you a domain and $$$.

[Drewbert]

http://domainnamewire.com/2013/03/22/first-signs-of-googles-new-domain-parking-client-identification-program/

[coconut]

http://www.hybriddomainer.com/2013/03/park-logic-explains-upcoming-google-parking-changes.html