WHY IS IT WATCHING YOU?

 

Google and DoubleClick watch you to learn how to target ads more effectively. The more narrowly targeted an ad is, the more valuable it is, and the more Google can charge if you click on it. Idealist philosophy aside, Google’s true business is the same as any other company—they are in it to make money.

The information they collect is also used to improve their search service. If Google knows how you behave online, it can build a deeper understanding of what you mean when you enter certain search terms. Using your IP address, Google knows where you are and can therefore return search results for massage parlors in your neighborhood, rather than just telling you where the most popular massage parlor in the world is.

As for the traces you leave behind on the Internet that Google then picks up and indexes for all to see . . . well, that’s information, and all information has value. Someone might someday want to know more about you. Google’s purpose is to make sure that person is satisfied.