Yes, there is a service that does not call home. It is called Google Desktop. Disable the "Advanced Features", and you have it. You can trust that it will not send any information to Google.
Even if Google's sole purpose would be only to make money, the company would neve ignore the concerns of the users, especially when it comes to privacy. You do not need laws for that: it would simply not make business sense to loose the trust of the users. Pleasing the users is the best thing Google can do.
Actually, everybody gets to choose whether to use the Search Across Computers feature of Google Desktop, even if Google Desktop would be preinstalled. This is a opt-in feature, that does not come enabled by default. You have to know what you are doing, to find how to enable it, and get all the necessary warnings about what it means to your privacy, because the feature would be enabled. If you use this feature, it is because you are aware that you are giving up some privacy to get a service that you find convenient. It is like using credit cards: you know that the government can get their hands on you credit card records at any time, and you still use them. Because they are so useful.
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Yes, there is a service that does not call home. It is called Google Desktop. Disable the "Advanced Features", and you have it. You can trust that it will not send any information to Google.
Actually, the files stored in Google are indeed encripted.
Even if Google's sole purpose would be only to make money, the company would neve ignore the concerns of the users, especially when it comes to privacy. You do not need laws for that: it would simply not make business sense to loose the trust of the users. Pleasing the users is the best thing Google can do.
Actually, everybody gets to choose whether to use the Search Across Computers feature of Google Desktop, even if Google Desktop would be preinstalled. This is a opt-in feature, that does not come enabled by default. You have to know what you are doing, to find how to enable it, and get all the necessary warnings about what it means to your privacy, because the feature would be enabled. If you use this feature, it is because you are aware that you are giving up some privacy to get a service that you find convenient. It is like using credit cards: you know that the government can get their hands on you credit card records at any time, and you still use them. Because they are so useful.