Privacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and security vendor Kaspersky Lab have lashed out against Google’s latest version of its desktop search application.
The EFF has advised users to avoid the application because a feature known as ‘Search Across Computers’, “greatly increases the risk to consumer privacy”.
The EFF is a not for profit organisation that aims to protect civil liberties in the networked world.
Google launched Google Desktop version 3 on Thursday. One of the application’s new features is the ability to search for documents including text files, PDFs and spreadsheets stored on any of the user’s computers.
To enable this feature, the application temporarily stores copies of a user’s documents on a Google server.
Security experts at Kaspersky Lab warned that hackers are now more likely to launch phishing attacks in an attempt to obtain users’ Google account passwords.
“If an attacker can obtain your Google log-in details they will be able to access your confidential files,” the company noted on its blog. It has advised users not to use the technology.
The EFF warned that creating a central repository with user files would make Google vulnerable to subpoenas from government and private litigants, as well as provide a “one-stop-shop” for hackers who have obtained a user’s password.
The US government subpoenaed Google last month to hand over data about user search queries, which Google is fighting.
“Coming on the heels of serious consumer concern about government snooping into Google’s search logs, it is shocking that Google expects its users to trust it with the contents of their personal computers,” said EFF staff attorney Kevin Bankston.
“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 – could also try to cut out the middleman (you) and subpoena Google for your files.”
The EFF further argued that the software highlights the lack of privacy protection in today’s laws. It has urged Google to lobby US Congress to update privacy laws.
A Google spokeswoman told vnunet.com that “privacy was an important consideration in the development of this feature”.
She pointed out that the feature is switched off by default when users first install the software and that they have to opt in on all the computers they use.
Data is stored only temporarily on Google’s servers. A permanent copy is saved on the user’s hard drives.
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers