Internet privacy: drunk-party photos, politically incorrect jokes, and what to do about a 'misspent youth'

I was a bit bothered by the fact that Google now owns Youtube and Blogger and through Google Accounts it probably has access to most of the things you do online (most of the things I do anyways). Not only what you search, but what you watch, what you write, and whom you email and socialize with via the frequency of your communication with certain sets of people. On the one hand, I really like the linked platforms since I only have one username and password to utilize for them all. On the other hand, my identity between all these accounts are linked. Then again, I don't have anything in particular to hide.

But it is a little frightening that one company tracks so much information about you. However, if you're fairly shameless and not hypocritical about your life can anything actually be used against you?

In a recent interview by the Wall Street Journal with Google's CEO Eric Schmidt

Mr. Schmidt is surely right, though, that the questions go far beyond Google. "I don't believe society understands what happens when everything is available, knowable and recorded by everyone all the time," he says. He predicts, apparently seriously, that every young person one day will be entitled automatically to change his or her name on reaching adulthood in order to disown youthful hijinks stored on their friends' social media sites.

"I mean we really have to think about these things as a society," he adds. "I'm not even talking about the really terrible stuff, terrorism and access to evil things," he says.

 In a somewhat delusional tone, he also added:

"I actually think most people don't want Google to answer their questions," he elaborates. "They want Google to tell them what they should be doing next."

It wouldn't be wholly surprising that most people desire to be sheep as being told what to do is far easier than thinking for yourself what to do. Better to blame Google for your faulty life decisions than having it be your own fault. I wonder if the Google legal team has pondered on the complexities of possibly ruining a person's life or leading them into a situation where they could end up in a physical accident. They should definitely consider implementing some significant disclaimers in influencing people's decision making. In a world where one company should have extraordinary power over what you consume, what advertising you're exposed to, and have almost a monopoly over your personal information, your social life, and contacts one should be a bit wary in relying solely on one company to provide you with answers. Google still has its limitations as was seen by its censorship debacle in China earlier this year.

The Telegraph took Mr. Schmidt's comments one step further headlining 'Young will have to change names to escape 'cyber past' warns Google's Eric Schmidt'

Regarding the future of privacy I think Mr. Schmidt's comments are a bit extreme. What exactly defines a 'misspent' youth? Do your drunk party photos, possibly the college snaps with the weed, or your ill advised sex tape with your ex which was dumped on the Internet in vengeance really ruin your life? Sure, people might laugh at you for a while, it could prove a reputational impediment for employment, but given that most normal people have done stupid things while you can anyone actually hold these things against you?

There would only be a certain of instances where a debauchery-ridden alcohol-blurred youth could work against you. If you come from a culture that values your social reputation and honor above everything else, yes, you could get screwed over. If you're being groomed as a future far-right politician with good Christian and family values, yes, you could get screwed over. If the political and religious beliefs you publicly espouse are inconsistent with the private life you've led, yes, you could essentially become the laughingstock of the public and have ruined your career.

So what to do about your misspent youth? My advice is simple, don't be a hypocrite. If you've had a colorful private life while young then make sure the life you currently lead is a positive reflection of liberal values. There's always the possibility that when people uncover the party photos, the sex videos, or the politically-incorrect jokes on your FB wall you may be momentarily ridiculed, laughed at, or even piss off a group of people. If you're generally a good chump, don't judge others for their private affairs, people will give you shit about it for a while and then let you off the hook.

Arm yourself with Madonna's perfect response when her youthful nude photos went public: So what?