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Google Desktop Search Under Fire

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the be-aware-people dept.

AchilleCB writes "Cnn and many other sources are jumping on the Google-privacy-bash bandwagon, they are carrying stories warning of more privacy implications regarding Google's Desktop Search, "if it's installed on computers at libraries and Internet cafes, users could unwittingly allow people who follow them on the PCs, for example, to see sensitive information in e-mails they've exchanged. That could mean revealed passwords, conversations with doctors, or viewed Web pages detailing online purchases." ... Type in "hotmail.com" and you'll get copies, or stored caches, of messages that previous users have seen. Enter an e-mail address and you can read all the messages sent to and from that address. Type "password" and get password reminders that were sent back via e-mail."

2 of 444 comments (clear)

  1. A Spy Machine of DARPA's Dreams by gestapo4you · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "It's a memory aid! A robotic assistant! An epidemic detector! An all-seeing, ultra-intrusive spying program!

    The Pentagon is about to embark on a stunningly ambitious research project designed to gather every conceivable bit of information about a person's life, index all the information and make it searchable."

    http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,58909, 00 .html

    Would Google Desktop Search be a great part in achieving this?

    You bet.

  2. Re:Again? by javatips · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I find it a bit amazing that Google does not get smashed enough with this thing.

    Stop defending Google! It it were Microsoft who had released this software everybody here would bang on them.

    Now if one would say, in Google defense, that the software is BETA and may have some issues regarding privacy, that would be OOK with me (I'm even surprised that Google say stuff like it not for use on multiuser-machines instead of saying "Look... It's beta software, we did not address multiuser machine issues yet).

    But having people defend Google just because they are Google... It's just plain idiot!

    The fact that you can get the data with some other tool does not remove all fault on Google... The Desktop search do make it a lot easier to get and present it in a way that it can be easily understood.

    Note also that it does more that search availlable information. It keep copy of indexed documents even if they are DELETED (and that not just put in the recycle bin).

    Please everybody... bang on Google! They will have too listen and provide a tool that take privacy concerns into account (they current attitude toward these privacy issue is the same Microsoft attitude toward securoty issues).