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Our Google Government  (View post)

Seth Finkelstein [PersonRank 10]

Friday, December 25, 2009
14 years ago5,568 views

http://philosecurity.org/2009/12/24/our-google-government/

“Over 60% of the U.S. state governments have gone Google.”

Does this mean that we’ve now handed the majority of our state governments’ operational data to a single privately-controlled company which has well-publicized partnerships with other governments such as China?

Above 1 comments were made in the forum before this was blogged,

Gustavo Muslera [PersonRank 1]

14 years ago #

That probably is related to internet stored information, like mail, sharing documents, etc. But if count desktops, probably 95+% of US state governments have gone Microsoft probably for more than a decade ago, and noone complained.

Jérôme Flipo [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

Sept. 15, 2009: <<Today, we're excited to announce our intent to create a government cloud, which we expect to become operational in 2010. Offering the same services and features as our existing commercial cloud (such as Google Apps), this dedicated environment within existing Google facilities in the US will serve the unique needs of US federal, state, and local governments. It is similar to a "Community Cloud" as defined by the National Institute for Science and Technology. The government cloud will allow Google to manage and meet additional government policy requirements beyond FISMA.>>

http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-apps-and-government.html

Sebastian [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

Gustoavo that's naive to say, as it's clear that this is not about who provides the applications but about self- or 3rd-party hosting of confidential data. Correct me if I'm wrong.

ahab [PersonRank 5]

14 years ago #

"Does this mean that we’ve now handed the majority of our state governments’ operational data to a single privately-controlled company"

One wonders who really controls Google... Has anyone a conspiracy theory on that? ;)

See e.g. – as a first start to such a theory – : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Wong

Jim McNelis [PersonRank 1]

14 years ago #

I trust google more than my government. Call me crazy...

imma [PersonRank 3]

14 years ago #

Who really controls google? The web knows!

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shared+group+intelligence

/my fave. conspiracy theory :-)

how bout [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

Don't see why the gov doesn't adopt the google way of doing things for their own systems. A couple of datacenters spread accross the nation – housing their data on the cloud.

Me2You [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

Follow me on this
1st, this start out as some commentator attempting to PUSH someone's buttons.
2nd, Noone ever said anything about confidentiality information....just the people here and the interviewer trying to throw a stupid twist (remember some of these interviewer as the stupid kids that we went to school with who always asked stupid questions).
3rd, Have any of you ever look at your state/local/fed websites? What top secret about that
4th Not to mention that you've allowed yourselves to be "pushed" by the interviewer's twist, but by your own sense of wanting to be pushed by some idiot who knows that you'll react when I tell you something alarming...SAD
5th Most Conservatives (bigots) are all quick to push for smaller govt or for allowing the private sector to make a buck, so if some creditable company doesn't provide services who should do it. and will you pay for it. You can't have it both ways and that is to say you don't get something for nothing. Should MY government be doing what Google does....sell services by assisting website building and hosting?

Its time that everyone (that includes the bigots) to start thinking for yourselves about what makes sense....STOP LISTENING AND STOP REACTING TO THE "SPIN DOCTORS" who always push you with some stupid twist .

anas [PersonRank 1]

14 years ago #

Bingo, @me2you for point number 5.

It should always be that us government should rely on the public. Not the other way around. This means public companies as well. yet in the interest of competition, no one public company should be relied on completely. Other companies should also be tried in order to keep options and competition open.

But take the scenario when us government tries to twist the arm of google to hand over data, can google now twist govt's arm as well?

Mysterius [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

As long as Google holds the carrot but not the stick, Google does not control the government. Our concern should be with the real and important issue of keeping our rights to our own data, e.g. Google's Data Liberation Front.

Google has influence, obviously, as any organization with its resources and talent naturally would. That perhaps bears watching.

But that is totally removed from the worse-comes-to-worst scenario some are fantasizing.
What do you think Google could threaten the government with?
An embargo on their access to email and calendar data? Deleting government databases?
How does that compare to government regulation? Unless Google wants to commit suicide, its reach is fundamentally limited.

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