Google, Blockbuster Movies & NSA's PRISM

Big data is here - and no one knows big data better than Google. It has access to several planets worth of information that is constantly up to date - as people continue interacting with Google's services. 

Proving this point, google recently released a white paper arguing that it had the ability to predict blockbuster movie success.

"70 percent of the variation in box office performance can be explained with movie-related search volume (such as trailers)."

Thats pretty cool. That means - if you want to know if a hollywood movie will be a success - just google search the answer (or at least see what the google-searching public has been up to). If your movie happens to be trending in advance of your release date - odds are that odds are in your favor. 

This topic of big data and access to big data has been actually hot news in the press of late - what with the leak of NSA's PRISM.

Should the government be able to track you online?

Where do you lie in the privacy vs. security spectrum?

There can be no doubt that you are leaving a digital wake behind you, as you click through the web. However a recent Economist article makes a fair point: 

Should the government know less than Google?

I hope you know by now - google has been spying on you. From your youtube views, to the content of your gmail emails - google has been painstakingly going through every word to get to know you better (just like a good neighbor).  

Don't believe me? - click this

If you are logged into your google account that link should send you to a fun little page. Here you can view what google thinks of you - specifically who you are and what you like to search. 

So the argument returns, yes the government is beefing up its online presence big time - but should google really know more about you than your government? Would you rather a private corporation hold your detailed information or a public one?