The New York Times posted an article describing the positive effects Google’s business deal with NBC will have on the company in <a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/business/media/09nbc.html?ref=technology“>. As described by Miguel Heft and Ben Stelter, the deal will allow Google to “have access to a small slice of the advertising inventory that brings in almost $6 billion a year for NBC Universal. Advertisers will be able to buy time on Sci Fi, which reaches 1.4 million viewers in prime time, as well as lower-rated cable channels.” This “small” bit of advertising is only just the beginning. The article goes on to explain how NBC’s allotment of Google advertisements on popular networks such as MSNBC, CNBC, Sci Fi and Oxygen is a great investment deal for Google, and will end up making them a “force” in television advertising. But as more networks see Google as an advertiser they can work with, Google will surely gain more power through television. Is all this power really better for the consumers?
Now, Google and it’s ad’s are predominantly seen on the internet and that is already causing some controversy in the consumer’s eyes. With each search in our “private” home on our “private” computer, Google is watching us, recording what we search and selling it to advertisers to help better target consumers. Though this may seem harmless, is Google on the road to a more harmful way of accessing information. As Google gains more power through another media, TV ad’s, who knows what Google will be able to target or what information they will be able to access in the future. Though it may seem like a good business deal, will Google’s rise in power be more harmful than helpful? Is it even possible to enact laws on the already blurred lines of privacy and security in our homes? Or is this next move for Google really nothing that anyone should be worried about?
2 Comments
September 18, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Honestly, I’m so skeptical of going online now! I think it’s creepy how information is being collected and targeted back at us through advertisements or television and what not. I think there should be a way of what we want private, to stay private. There needs to be a fine line of what Google is allowed to access and sell and what it can’t. Enforcing a law would be difficult though. But on the other hand, I don’t believe that there are any serious harms or negative effects of google gaining more power. It seems more like a power- hungry frenzy between television networks, the media, advertisements, and google. And I could honestly care less.
December 12, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Here we go, another article talking about how Google is taking over the world. It’s true! Liek I have said before, it is an unfortunate realization that our society has been facing for quite a while now. It seems clear that the direction America is going results in small business’s being shut down, while the big names take over. This is the case with things like places like Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, etc. while a tremendous amount of small businesses are all going out of business. Whatever, Google is taking note of this trend and using it to their advantage by trying to take over their industry, which they probably have already done. I cannot blame Google, but personally I am more of a small business guy, because I probably want to start a business of my own one day.