Search engines have evolved, make no mistake about it. Where once a search engine did nothing but look for stuff, they now incorporate apps that are moving closer to the realm occupied by social media. Likewise, social media sites are fighting to capture their share of the search market by introducing real-time results. In the not-so-distant future, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if Facebook (the biggest kid on the social media block) squared off against Google, undoubtedly the search engine king for the past decade. Unfortunately for us little people, this collision of search and social will lead to serious online privacy concerns.

Which is not to say that users aren’t already concerned about online security. We’ve come to an intersection, and it’s a Catch-22 because we have to give up privacy to gain access. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Lately, many of the privacy issues have focused upon social media sites, their associated apps, and the numerous security fumbles that nearly every social media site’s committed. However, the real “information” is being stored by your favorite search engine.

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