Video: Stephen Colbert Takes on Google, Facebook for Privacy Invasion
Stephen Colbert blasted blasted Google and Facebook for their dismal record on personal privacy and how they handle users' personal data. Colbert reminds viewers of the infamous interview in which Google CEO Eric Schmidt's noted,
"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." "Are you listening, young people?" Colbert commented. "Just don't ever make a mistake. How hard is that?"
He went on to say, "The point is, the Internet is one giant resume. And under 'special skills,' yours might list: getting high, keg stands, flashing your boobs, and multitasking. That's why Eric Schmidt further suggests that every young person one day will be entitled automatically to change his or her name on reaching adulthood. Exactly. From now on, changing your name will be a right of passage."
He suggested that young people have plastic surgery, cut off contact with all family and friends in order to avoid Google's all-seeing eye. But, he said, there in another option: "Google and Facebook could stop invasively data-mining and selling our private data to the highest bidder. But that would be asking them to change who they are. And that's not fair." Ha! Take a look:
