Eli Pariser: Beware online" filter bubbles

In a 9-minute -http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html-
Eli Pariser explains what I see as Google narrowing our perspective on n subject, or everything we search for. Essentially, Pariser explains that Google records our searches, analyzes the data, and shapes future Google search results according to our preferences.

Personally I see that as an insult to the developing mind as we trust Google to be objective.
Initially, I thought - lol, poor Google account users, their data is shaped because they're logged in when searching. Short experiment: Do the same Google search (without logging in) on your computer and compare the search results with another computer. You will find that every computer generates unique search results.

Conclusion? It's IP-based.
You can't delete your online search log, i.e everyone knows about data storage laws, PRISM and whatnot. But have we considered the implications of our perspectives narrowing slowly by every Google search? I may be overreacting, maybe this will have insignificant implications on Google users (and any other relevant product/service using this customer-interaction model), but I'm pessimistic. It's rewarding to optimize Google results according to what pleases the users, but it's short-sighted. Over time, conflicting, challenging ideas and perspectives will fall further and further down the result list, I'm assuming this is one of the main arguments in Pariser's book "The Filter Bubble". I'm not saying Google is the evil Illuminati wanting us all to think alike, brick in the wall, society: equilibrium etc., I think they stepped over the line just to get an edge on rivals.

 

Well, that is a useful feature when I'm researching a particular topic.

I can also see how it makes for happier Google etc users.

But it does reinforce the general tendency to follow links within one's bubble of agreement. And so it feeds social fragmentation.

That's another reason to use VPNs

 

Pariser is a little late to the debate. But hey, better late than never.

http://balkin.blogspot.com/2009/02/search-engine-secrecy-and-public-sphere.html

http://www.publicsphereproject.org/node/432