Google Desktop, a privacy concern?
If you choose to enable Search Across Computers, Google will securely transmit copies of your indexed files to Google Desktop servers, in order to provide the feature. Google treats the contents of your indexed files as personal information, in accordance with the Google Privacy Policy.
The software is drawing our attention again and this time for the worse. EFF says:
Google Copies Your Hard Drive – Government Smiles in Anticipation: Google today announced a new “feature” of its Google Desktop software that greatly increases the risk to consumer privacy.
Is the convenience worth the potential for invasion of privacy? Not in my view.
I believe Google has tasted blood after its previous releases of Google Desktop software. I am speculating that with users’ index homed back, Google—for the first time—must have realized that they were actually looking at the iceberg instead of the tip. That whatever exists online is no match for the wealth of information on desktop computers stored locally.