BleepingComputer.com: Google Copies Your Hard Drive - Government Smiles In Anticip

<img src='/images/misc/big_brother.jpg' style='float:right' vspace='8' hspace='8'> <b>Consumers Should Not Use New Google Desktop<br /> <br /> San Francisco Google announced a new "feature" of its<br /> Google Desktop software that greatly increases the risk to<br /> consumer privacy. If a consumer chooses to use it, the new<br /> "Search Across Computers" feature will store copies of the<br /> user's computers. EFF urges consumers not to use this feature, <br /> because it will make their personal<br /> data more vulnerable to subpoenas from the government and<br /> possibly private litigants, while providing a convenient<br /> one-stop-shop for hackers who've obtained a user's Google<br /> password.</b><br /><br />"Coming on the heels of serious consumer concern about<br /> government snooping into Google's search logs, it's shocking<br /> that Google expects its users to now trust it with the<br /> contents of their personal computers," said EFF Staff<br /> Attorney Kevin Bankston. "Unless you configure Google<br /> Desktop very carefully, and few people will, Google will<br /> have copies of your tax returns, love letters, business<br /> records, financial and medical files, and whatever other<br /> text-based documents the Desktop software can index. The<br /> government could then demand these personal files with only<br /> a subpoena rather than the search warrant it would need to<br /> seize the same things from your home or business, and in<br /> many cases you wouldn't even be notified in time to<br /> challenge it. Other litigants--your spouse, your business<br /> partners or rivals, whomever--could also try to cut out the<br /> middleman (you) and subpoena Google for your files."<br /> <br /> The privacy problem arises because the Electronic<br /> Communication Privacy Act of 1986, or ECPA, gives only<br /> limited privacy protection to emails and other files that<br /> are stored with online service providers--much less privacy<br /> than the legal protections for the same information when<br /> it's on your computer at home. And even that lower level of<br /> legal protection could disappear if Google uses your data<br /> for marketing purposes. Google says it is not yet scanning<br /> the files it copies from your hard drive in order to serve<br /> targeted advertising, but it hasn't ruled out the<br /> possibility, and Google's current privacy policy appears to<br /> allow it.<br /> <br /> "This Google product highlights a key privacy problem in the<br /> digital age," said Cindy Cohn, EFF's Legal Director. "Many<br /> Internet innovations involve storing personal files on a<br /> service provider's computer, but under outdated laws,<br /> consumers who want to use these new technologies have to<br /> surrender their privacy rights. If Google wants consumers to<br /> trust it to store copies of personal computer files, emails,<br /> search histories and chat logs, and still 'not be evil,' it<br /> should stand with EFF and demand that Congress update the<br /> privacy laws to better reflect life in the wired world."<br /> <br /> Google can and should design its technologies to avoid these<br /> problems in the first place. For example, searching across<br /> computers can be accomplished without Google having to keep<br /> copies of those computers' contents. Alternatively, Google<br /> could encrypt the stored data such that only the user has<br /> access.<br /> <br /> "Google constantly touts its creative brainpower. More<br /> privacy-protective technologies are surely not beyond its<br /> reach, so long as its engineers make that a design<br /> priority," added Bankston.<br /> <br /> (Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged.<br /> Press releases and EFF announcements & articles may be reproduced individually at will.)<br /><br /> <div class='newslinks'><img src='http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/public/style_images/1/cs_page.gif'> <b>Link: <a href='http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006_02.php#004400' target='_blank'><font color='red'>For this release:</font></a><br />

This post has been edited by KoanYorel: 10 February 2006 - 07:50 PM

Which is excactly why I will never use any
"destop search" feature no matter whose it is.

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Which is why I will.
I welcome an opportunity to highlight what is really wrong.
I saw it coming when I tested the beta in the first place.

Ya' think our government deserves to be able to "benefit" by it's lawful right to spend our money
searching a few million PC user's files? Then a few million more when they can ...
The ones stupid enough to be doing terrorist acts on the side?
Law Enforcement dredging up last year's PC files for the Prosecuting Attorney's pleasure?

Maybe just being Democrats during a Republican administration?
What entity controls the internet as it is developing?
The NSA?
CIA?
FBI?
Republican National Committee?

I guess I'll ultimately find out using the Desktop Search, huh?
Especially if I bait 'em ...

This post has been edited by phawgg: 16 February 2006 - 01:19 AM

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phawgg, on Feb 16 2006, 12:11 AM, said:

phawgg,
If you just want to bait them:

Patriot Search
A search engine that lets you report yourself to the
authorities -- before someone else does.
Patriot Search

Be sure to check out the links under the search field, Our mission, Our search syntax, and Our privacy policy:

Oh, thank you tg1911

The plot thickens.
The anticipation of just this one citizen is killin' him.
I was wondering how several million other ones are takin' this.
Then I thought about the yellow page listings of attorneys ...

I wonder if a new specialty will develop.
Full page ads showing the firm in a hardwood paneled office around an enormous desk,
the boldface list of litigation specialties on the side now headed up by:

Patriot Act Defense

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conflicts??

This post has been edited by Michael Giacchetti: 22 February 2006 - 02:31 AM

Yahoo and MSN quietly complied in some way or another, with the government request, just like they regularly comply with the Chinese Internet Police.
Regards,
John

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This post has been edited by Michael Giacchetti: 22 February 2006 - 02:46 AM