Google provides many resources for us, that once we search a specific thing it gives a variety of results, relating to what was searched. This can be used to our advantage to feed our knowledge in specific areas. However, some could argue that the utilisation of google bleeds us dry of privacy. For instance you can search an individuals name and google will present results that relate to the person. Like providing links to any social network accounts, their address, images, criminal records etc. In addition googles give us the ability to locate addresses by also providing footage of the street it lies in. The access that google can give out on private information has some contribution to the rates of stalking in the UK. With this link it presents statistics of stalking in the UK and states that over 1.2 billion women and 900,00 men are stalked every year, according to the British Crime Survey. Furthermore in this link it mentions that from the findings of the 2005 university study, one way of stalker gaining information on their prey is through the internet. So the question rises, should there be a limit to the access google gives us?
http://andrewsteelesmith.blogspot.co.uk/p/stalking-victims-resource-uk-stalking_26.html
Network Society and the Media 
What I would ask myself is … is Google 100% useful? No. We should be able to filter what we are searching. It’s true you can find info about people although I tried to google myself and nothing shows up (not famous enough haha)
But yeah, it’s easy to find celebrities’ properties on Google without even typing the address. And I know that because a friend of mine is obsessed with 5 Seconds Of Summer and she used to stalk them through Twitter and Google. Sad isn’t it?
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You’ve raised a good point, we do sometimes put too much information about ourselves online. But I think that’s down to the person, I think we don’t really think stalking situations could ever happen to us.
But I don’t think Google does give out too much information, it gives out what we look for.
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I definitely think this is something people, as consumers and users, should be thinking about and questioning. It’s all too easy to fall into routine and accept things that make life a little easier. While Google, and its map, are a great tool, it makes me wonder if the extent to which they’re able to go is necessary. Maybe if Google only allowed street view for areas that count as a a big tourist attraction, or streets that only contain shops and businesses, this could ease people’s minds. It is a bit unnerving that you could look up virtually anyones address and see their home just as easily as you could google a recipe. Maybe there should be restrictions put in place to work toward more privacy for users.
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