How Google will continue its watch over you
Published: 09 Jul 2009 11:22 BST
Google has a long history of tracking user activity, and the introduction of its Chrome operating system later this year is sure to follow suit. We know it is being built off Linux. What we do not know is how its terms of service will differ from those found in other Google products, or what user data it will collect.
To provide a better picture on what to expect, let's take a look at some of the ways Google is currently monitoring user activity and how that may trickle down into the Chrome OS.
Google personalised web search
Google's bread and butter business is its search engine, and its personalised search is a way to put a face on your data. When you're signed in with your Google account, you can opt in to having your web history tracked; Google archives all the sites you click on from search results, as well as what time of day you clicked on them.
For those not signed in, the company uses identifiers like cookies and IP addresses. But when you're signed in, it aggregates your data, no matter what computer you're logged on to. With a system-level login, it could theoretically do this no matter what browser you're using, giving Google a far richer set of data.
Chrome browser
When Chrome was first released, Google found itself in hot water over its terms of service, which stated that the company had the rights to license any content that went through its browser. However, it quickly backtracked on the claim, citing that the terms heavily borrowed from other Google products and that it did not make sense for Chrome. This would have given Google licensing control over data such as user photos, videos and words.
The one area where Google's Chrome can still access some of that information is with its reports system. This is an opt-in program for users to provide Google with crash reports and detailed information about what features they are using. Google has said this does not include any information from form fields or users' Google accounts. However, it does track what sites and search terms you enter into the address bar.
Gmail
Google's webmail service was one of the first to provide contextual advertising, meaning it scans your email to give you advertisements that match up with a conversation you're having. Did you mention skiing in your last email? Then don't be surprised if you start seeing ads for local lift tickets or a new pair of ski boots.
Gmail also tracks what features you use, including which settings you turn on/off, your chosen themes and which ads you click on. On the plus side, it does not share personal information with third parties; the only thing it gives to advertisers are the metrics on how many times their ads have been clicked on.
Google Desktop
Google Desktop is sure to be a part of the Chrome OS. This software indexes the content on your computer so that it can be searched and sorted, sometimes including search results from Google. It also indexes your web history, chats, emails and information about your computer, such as the operating system you use and its hardware configuration.
As far as usage goes, it can track which sites you visit to serve up personalised news. The software also has an opt-in 'improvement' service that tracks crash reports, how many searches you do and how long the software takes to pull them up.
Google Desktop is currently an add-on for Windows, Mac and Linux, but it will likely be more deeply integrated — and possibly something you cannot disable.
Google Checkout
Checkout is Google's online payment service. It allows customers to pay for items using credit cards or bank accounts that are tied to their Google credentials. As far as collecting information, Google holds all of a customer's financial information on its servers, including names, addresses and account numbers. It also tracks…
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