(This article was originally published in the Belfast Telegraph.)

We know that Google stores a lot of data about us online. What we search for, which websites we visit, who our online friends are – we know that Google knows.

Many governments see this as a problem. Recently ten countries sent a joint letter to Google in which they criticise the search giant’s approach to privacy, focusing on the launch of Google Buzz which gave rise to a great many privacy concerns.

Google has so far not responded to this letter in any depth. Their official comments are nothing but bland corporate statements.

But all is not what it seems. There’s a more subtle battle being waged here, one of public perception.

Almost simultaneously with the privacy letter being sent to Google, the company released a new tool that allows all of us to see which countries make requests to Google for release of private data. Private data that, according to the governments requesting it, is necessary to track down criminals.

Interestingly, as Wired UK noted, eight of the ten countries listed on that letter to Google are also among the countries making the most requests for private data from Google, with the UK leading the pack by a significant margin.

So perhaps these countries don’t really care about privacy as much as we’re led to believe. Maybe they don’t care about privacy at all – something that residents of the UK will find unsurprising, used as we are to ubiquitous CCTV and an omnipresent nanny state.

Maybe these countries just resent Google for hoarding all this juicy private data, data that these governments would really like to have for themselves.

It’s time for us as citizens of the digital world to make up our minds. Who do we trust more with our private data, Google or our governments?

One thing is for sure. I’ll never be lifted from my bed at night by a search engine company.

Barry Adams is a search engine specialist at Visual Script, a Belfast web design & development firm. While he thinks he has nothing to hide, he’d rather not you look too closely at his PC’s hard drive.

At the Newspaper Society Awards 2010 held on 21 April, the Belfast Telegraph scooped up the Digital News Service of the Year award from a field of nominations that included the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph. This award is granted to the news service that demonstrates the best use of technological innovation to encourage and enhance visitor interaction, and incorporates multiple platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

The Belfast Telegraph also received a commendation in the Best Use of Citizen/Community Journalism category for user interactivity.

Visual Script has been a part of the Belfast Telegraph website for years, providing web design and technical expertise of the Escenic content management system. Several months ago Visual Script was also contracted to provide SEO consulting for the site, and to restart and manage the Belfast Telegraph’s social media campaigns on Facebook and Twitter. These campaigns are aimed at engaging with the paper’s readers and encouraging feedback on news articles.

We feel proud to be a part of the Belfast Telegraph’s online success, and look forward to many more years of close collaboration with their dedicated team of digital editors, publishers, and developers.

Read the official Newspaper Society press release here.

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