This is the well known mantra of corporate governance at Google. Without a doubt, Google has the majority of mind and market share for many of the tools we use everyday. Services like Maps, Gmail, Docs, Reader, and Wave (not to mention YouTube) are becoming woven into the very fabric of how we use the Web. Ever hear someone say, “just Google it” when they mean ‘search’?

As noted by several people on Twitter, Google makes no secret about their voracious hunger for data. But it’s easy to overlook the massive amount of information the public willingly provides them. Google knows what we’re looking for (search), what we’re working on (Gmail, Docs, Wave), who we talk to and what we say (Gmail, GTalk, Voice, Wave), what we’re interested in (search, Reader, YouTube), where we go (Maps), and soon they’ll know every Website we visit via Google Public DNS.

In our quest for the utopian Web experience, are we creating an Orwellian behemoth?

For those without pocket protectors, the DNS system is like the phone book of the Web. Whenever you visit a Website, your browser needs to look up the address of the Website. It does this via the DNS system, and there are many sources. Your internet provider is probably providing this service now (see Wikipedia for more info).

With Public DNS, Google will respond to these requests and undoubtedly log each request and where it came from. This gives them the ability to analyze the browsing habits of anyone using the service. This is enormously valuable data. Especially for a company built on delivering relevant content to a user at the exact right moment.

It’s What You Know

Privacy has been the thorny bush in the side of sites like Facebook and MySpace, and as an extension, the entire Web. Should we as a society trust a single monolithic entity to this quantity and granularity of data about us? Would we trust Microsoft, Bank of America, or (gulp) the Federal Government with this amount of detailed information about us and our activities? I wouldn’t.

Do I think Google has an overarching clandestine plan? I want to say no. But this is a public company with a duty to its shareholders to produce profits quarter over quarter. If the history of capitalism has taught us anything, it’s that at some point the desire for a positive P&L will outweigh an ethical mantra. I fear each addition to the ability of Google to track, collect, and monetize our data may lead them closer to that point.

Don’t Panic Yet

So far, Google have been very careful to respect the trust we’ve placed in them. Many of their services are indisputably the best-in-class. Public DNS will no doubt aid many people and become a valuable service. If the reactions on Twitter are any clue, the bleeding edge nerds and Google groupies have already jumped on board, and I’m sure legions of others are close behind. And no doubt, Google is already mining the data and feeding it into their famed algorithm.

Thanks, Google. But I think I’ll pass.