patrick.net

In an example of Google breaking it's do no evil mantra, Google requires that you let them associate ever app you download from Google Play with your social security number, even ones you download from a browser on your PC.

If you try to download an app without in effect handing over your social security number, you get the following message from Google,

"You haven't accessed the Google Play Store app on your device with this email account."

You will receive the error “You haven't accessed the Google Play Store app (the white shopping bag app icon) on your device with this email account. Learn More.” on the Google Play website if:

Your phone or tablet isn't a supported device. There is no way to manually add your phone or tablet to the device list on play.google.com, and you will not be able to use the Google Play website.

You are trying to use the Google Play website before using the Google Play Store app on your device. It may take several minutes after using the Google Play Store app on your device for that phone or tablet to show up on play.google.com. If you don't have the Google Play Store app pre-installed on your device, contact your carrier or manufacturer for further assistance.

You're signed in with a different account on play.google.com than you're using on your device. Check Menu > Settings > Accounts & sync on your device and ensure you're signed in to the Google Play website with the same account.

You're signed in with a Google Apps account that has not been migrated to the new Google Apps infrastructure These types of accounts cannot use the Google Play website and must use the Google Play Store app on device instead.

You have a device that's running Android 1.5 (Cupcake). Users with Android 1.5 devices cannot use the Google Play website and must use the Google Play Store app on device instead.

Basically, what Google is saying is they want your social security number and they insist that you give them sufficient information to obtain that ID. Here's what Google is telling you to do...

1. Buy an Android device with a credit card. From that credit card, or any credit card you ever use while using the Android device, Google can easily get your social security number and uniquely track you, not an online persona of you, but actually you.

2. Register that Android device with a Google account. That way anything you do with your Google account is associated with your social security number. Google can tell exactly what you, personally, are doing at any time.

3. Download your apps with the Google account associated with your social security number, not with a different Google account that does not have that SS number.

This is the best reason I've discovered for not using tablet apps or Google/YouTube accounts. And for Google to use its size to force this onto users without even an opt-out is like forcing the world to strip naked and submit to a cavity search before using a tablet. It's just plain creepy.