Evidence of meeting #122 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was users.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
Thank you.
Let's go back to square one in a very simple way to explain how Google works.
Frankly, I don't remember, but when I purchase a computer, Windows is already on it. I go to the Internet and the first page is Google, so I don't have to subscribe anywhere.
In terms of my access to Google, Google has nothing on me at first, besides my IP address. Is that right?
12:30 p.m.
Head, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Canada
At that point, no.
12:30 p.m.
Head, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Canada
If you're looking at a Google search page, we actually don't have any information about your behaviour. As soon as you enter a search, we'll have some idea about what you're searching for and your IP address on that device.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
Perfect. I have a first request and I'm looking for golf clubs. I have a list of stores and experts, and all that, so you're already aware of what I'm looking at.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
Let's stay on this very simple version of Google. The only thing you have is that this IP address requested this search, and these are the results. This golf club company needs to send advertising.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
They give you the product to put on your system and therefore spread it over every IP address you have, but that's not an efficient way to do advertising. Usually those advertising companies, whatever company they are, need to target somehow. In order to target and make sure their investment is well placed in Google, they need a return-on-investment appreciation of this operation. Usually they should put their nose into how you target those IP addresses, to make sure that, for example, they will sell golf clubs only to French-speaking persons, so you need a limited number of IP addresses. They should be involved somewhere in the targeting of the site that will receive the advertising, so they are involved in an operation where they can at least work on these IP addresses. Am I right?
12:30 p.m.
Head, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Canada
In the limited description that you're giving, the IP address does have a geography associated with it. It's not very specific.
12:30 p.m.
Head, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Canada
The way that this interaction with an advertiser happens is like this. You make a search. You use specific terms. You may write your search in French or you may write it in Croatian. That helps us identify qualities about the search. We then—
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
It is not the fact that Google has done that. My issue is that with this very simplistic version of Google, any third party has access to my IP address because they work with you to target the right place.
12:30 p.m.
Head, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Canada
No.
Advertisers will says to us, “We want to run a campaign.” Let's say that your local sports shop wants to sell golf clubs this weekend. It says, “We want to deliver ads to people in this geographic space, who search for these terms, at this time, in this language.”
Then we have an auction. We say to all our advertisers, “Here is what is available. Someone is searching within this space for this term under these conditions.” Then they bid on getting that space in the advertising segment.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
Let's expand it to all services that you have for which I put down my name, address, age and all that. Do I understand that it works the same way in every case—that this information is totally reserved for your eyes only?
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
Then why bother with transparency? Transparency doesn't change the way you work. Before I didn't know what you did with my data; now I just know what you do with my data. You still do the same thing when you deal with my data; it doesn't change the way you work. You just inform your client that now you're transparent. It doesn't give anything. If I refuse for my data to be exchanged, I may see my service refused then. I won't have access anymore to my service because you need my information as exchange currency for the services you sell to advertising.
12:30 p.m.
Head, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Canada
I don't think that's true. Because advertising fuels these free services, we need to deliver advertising. Advertising that is more specific to your needs is more relevant to you, and it is more relevant to the advertisers, as you pointed out. It is more valuable to the advertiser, and we hope it's more valuable to you as well. In effect, it's answering a question and it's answering a need that you've expressed an interest in.
However, you can turn off tracking on your browser. You can turn off location services. You can tell us within your account profile that you don't want us to keep track of your preferences. That will provide less detailed and less precise advertising. Hopefully, it's still useful.
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
Michel Picard Liberal Montarville, QC
The thing is then, by default, not accessible, because we wouldn't do that. Everything we do and we talk about.... Why don't we just decide that everything you provide to a company is not accessible and you have to opt in to have more information from a third party company? Therefore, I wouldn't bother about my private information because, by default, it would be inaccessible. Would we put you out of business that way?
12:35 p.m.
Head, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Canada
I'm sorry. I don't understand the distinction. If, by default, there's no information collection....
