Google Web Accelerator Privacy Concerns

elchrist

Google recently released a new free software application, Google Web Accelerator (beta), that advertises the ability to accelerate the speed of your Web browsing. Historically, Google has released free software that has made computer users' experiences with the Web a lot better and this appears to be yet another.

A major privacy concern has been flagged with the release of Google Web Accelerator which involves the cacheing (saving) of the Web content you are viewing with this software installed. Normally this would not be a problem, but it becomes one when you are viewing private content on a computer with Google Web Accelerator installed.

Private Web-based messaging and participation in private message boards (forums) now makes your conversations available to Google. The only exclusion is through secure Web browsing (HTTPS), which is most likely not the case when engaged in any private discussion.

If currently are or plan on using Google Web Accelerator, I recommend you read their privacy policy and terms and conditions thoroughly.

elchrist · Posted: 06 May 2005 07:01 PM Post subject: Google vs Microsoft

It seems as if just because the software publisher is Google that no one really cares, but I'm sure if it was bad old Micro$oft everyone would be hollering and screaming right about now.