Google Plus One under fire already

26th Jan 2012  - Europeans will be given the right to delete information that has been collected by Google under proposed legislation. This was announced by the European Commission on 25th Jan 2012.

We are told that Google and Facebook will be subject to tight limits on the amount and kind of information that they can hold on their members.

The legislation is set to come into law in about 2 years time provided of course that it is passed by the European Parliament after being ratified by member states. It makes sense though because there is no regulation of the internet or hardly any. This allows the biggest internet sites to do as they please to their advantage. This worries ordinary people and chimes with the recent Occupancy protests across Europe and America

The existence and success of Google Plus One (+1) depends on the collection of personal information, the likes and dislikes, of individuals who go online. This news must cast doubt on the long term viability of Google's recently introduced +1 search and social media programme.

I hope that you have noticed (many have not) that there are now two kinds of Google search: a search based on your Google +1 preferences and socialisation and secondly a conventional search that is more objective. The first finds information that is personalised for you and the second finds information that is meant to be the best on the internet. I say "meant" because even god almighty Google gets it wrong too frequently. It favours the big sites and these are far from correct every time.

The sole reason why Google changed its search algorithm and search method was to force people to use Google Plus One. People were not doing it voluntarily. Have you noticed the low +1 numbers compared to the high Facebook like it numbers?

This was a dangerous ploy by Google because their success as a company is built on finding the best sites and web pages on the internet. To connect that objective to one that forces people to use Google as a social media network must compromise Google's ability to provide the best search results.

You can turn off the social media search element if you want to and if you can find the right button to push. Most people won't know that personalized search is on never mind know how to turn it off. Google are relying on that.