谷歌隐私广告攻势效法网络盗版法抗议活动

    上周四，谷歌公司（Google）开始执行其颇具争议的全新隐私条款。依据该政策，谷歌将在前所未有的范围内，汇总用户在谷歌搜索、Gmail、Google+、Picasa、谷歌地图等各项服务上进行的在线活动所搜集的数据，从而根据用户的兴趣，更准确地对广告进行定位。

    当然，对此肯定存在大量反对的声音。但是，谷歌名为Good to Know的广告宣传活动至少在某种程度上减轻了反对意见产生的影响。广告采用了富有童趣的素描画来阐释、推广新政策。“在线隐私从未如此楚楚可怜，”《广告时代》（Advertising Age）报道说。

    也许，更确切地说，“侵犯隐私”从未像现在这样楚楚可怜。说到底，谷歌此举极具争议，而且很可能惹麻烦上身，谷歌的广告只是在竭力为它戴上一副尽可能讨人喜欢的面具。但是，广告尽可能地避开了律师、各种利益集团和政客等群体，而是直接面向用户，从这点上来说，它可谓别出心裁。

    谷歌Good to Know广告的推出时间在禁止网络盗版法（SOPA）抗议运动达到高潮之前。当时，网络用户与商界共同发动的在线抗议活动甚至引发了断网和其他一些抗议行为，并进而导致反盗版立法案最终被束之高阁，抗议活动由此达到了顶峰。谷歌当时也参与了抗议活动，但只是在网站上发表了简短的声明，以示反对。但是，该公司一定为抗议活动的成功而感到欣慰不已，因为它提供的证据显示，很多时候，直接面向公众的公共活动往往收效极为显著。

    当然，这是一把双刃剑。许多人认为，谷歌的新政策与禁止网络盗版法没什么两样，都可谓严重伤害互联网用户利益的咒语。有些反对禁止网络盗版法的组织及个人同样反对谷歌的新政策。但是，如果此类“论战”越来越公开化，它仍要远胜于只在国会、法庭、或者律师事务所里“开战”，因为在第二种情况下，人们关注得更多的是一己私利，而不是公众的利益。

    译者：大海

    Google (GOOG) today implemented its controversial new privacy policy, which ties together more than ever before data gathered from users' online activities across all of its properties -- search, Gmail, Google Plus, Picasa, Google Maps, etc. -- to better target ads based on users' interests.

    There is plenty of blowback, of course. But that might have been mitigated, at least somewhat, by Google's ad campaign, "Good to Know," which comprises cute line drawings to explain and promote the new policy. "Online privacy has never looked more cuddly," decided Advertising Age.

    Or maybe privacy intrusion has never looked more cuddly is a better way to put it. Google of course is putting the best possible face on what is, after all, a highly controversial, possibly troubling move. But the campaign might be unique in terms of taking such actions directly to the people, circumventing lawyers, interest groups and politicians to the extent possible.

    "Good to Know" was launched in Europe before the anti-SOPA campaign reached full volume, culminating in an online movement of people and companies that resulted in Web blackouts and other protests the led to the anti-piracy legislation's being shelved. Google took part, though only with a message on its site stating its opposition to the bill. But the company must have been pleased by the effort's success, since it offered further evidence that in many cases, direct-to-the-public publicity campaigns can be highly effective.

    Of course, that can work both ways, and for a lot of people, Google's new policy is a lot like SOPA in being anathema to the interests of Internet users. Some of the same groups and many of the same individuals that opposed SOPA also oppose this. But if such battles are increasingly fought in public, that might be a lot better than having them fought in Congress, the courts, or lawyer's offices, where interests other than the public interest are bound to hold more sway.