[Vcsa-announcements] Google Desktop puts data at risk.

[Anna Tognazzini]

>Message from Rick Nornholm -------------------------------
>Many of us use and benefit from tools and services from the Google 
>Corporation, but I recommend that you do not use or install the recently 
>released "Google Desktop" on any computer than contains UCR data.  Please 
>read the following and contact Kenneth Wolfrom if you have any questions.
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006_02.php#004400
>
>February 09, 2006
>
>Google Copies Your Hard Drive
>
>Consumers Should Not Use New Google Desktop
>
>San Francisco - Google today announced a new "feature" of its Google Desktop
>software that greatly increases the risk to consumer privacy. If a consumer
>chooses to use it, the new "Search Across Computers" feature will store
>copies of the user's Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets and other text-based
>documents on Google's own servers, to enable searching from any one of the
>user's computers. EFF urges consumers not to use this feature, because it
>will make their personal data more vulnerable to subpoenas from the
>government and possibly private litigants, while providing a convenient
>one-stop-shop for hackers who've obtained a user's Google password.
>
>"Coming on the heels of serious consumer concern about government snooping
>into Google's search logs, it's shocking that Google expects its users to
>now trust it with the contents of their personal computers," said EFF Staff
>Attorney Kevin Bankston. "If you use the Search Across Computers feature and
>don't configure Google Desktop very carefully-and most people won't-Google
>will have copies of your tax returns, love letters, business records,
>financial and medical files, and whatever other text-based documents the
>Desktop software can index.
>The government could then demand these personal files with only a subpoena
>rather than the search warrant it would need to seize the same things from
>your home or business, and in many cases you wouldn't even be notified in
>time to challenge it. Other litigants-your spouse, your business partners or
>rivals, whoever-could also try to cut out the middleman (you) and subpoena
>Google for your files."
>
>The privacy problem arises because the Electronic Communication Privacy Act
>of 1986, or ECPA, gives only limited privacy protection to emails and other
>files that are stored with online service providers-much less privacy than
>the legal protections for the same information when it's on your computer at
>home. And even that lower level of legal protection could disappear if
>Google uses your data for marketing purposes. Google says it is not yet
>scanning the files it copies from your hard drive in order to serve targeted
>advertising, but it hasn't ruled out the possibility, and Google's current
>privacy policy appears to allow it.
>
>"This Google product highlights a key privacy problem in the digital age,"
>said Cindy Cohn, EFF's Legal Director. "Many Internet innovations involve
>storing personal files on a service provider's computer, but under outdated
>laws, consumers who want to use these new technologies have to surrender
>their privacy rights. If Google wants consumers to trust it to store copies
>of personal computer files, emails, search histories and chat logs, and
>still 'not be evil,' it should stand with EFF and demand that Congress
>update the privacy laws to better reflect life in the wired world."
>
>For more on Google's data collection:
>http://news.com.com/FAQ+When+Google+is+not+your+friend/2100-1025_3-60346
>66.html?tag=nl
>http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/01/21/google_subpoena_ro
>ils_the_web
>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/0
>1/20/EDGEPGPHA61.DTL
>http://news.com.com/%20Bill+would+force+Web+sites+to+delete+personal+inf
>o/2100-1028_3-6036951.htm


Rick Nornholm
Director, VCSA Technology Services
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