It appears that every geek’s favorite search engine has won the race as the Mountain View, California company unveiled Google Desktop Search (GDS) on Thursday morning. The main feature of GDS is the ability of the user to search all files and folders of their computers hard drive, in addition to the Internet when running search strings through Google. The application itself is very small - only about 400k - and according to Google, after installation, GDS will run in the background indexing your hard drive on a continuous basis.
Privacy advocates have expressed some serious concerns about GDS. The biggest questions concerning the security of computer administrator files and folders on a Windows XP machine, and the ability to search other users' personal e-mail in a search queue. To help alleviate fears, Google engineers made it clear that no information contained on indexed hard drives is ever sent back to Mountain View, although they did acknowledge that the program will "ping" Google's servers on a daily basis in an effort to monitor the health of the program and determine how users are utilizing the features in GDS. You can download GDS here.
Excerpt from Google Desktop Search Terms and Conditions: Consent to Collect Non-Personal Information
Google Desktop Search may collect certain non-personally identifiable information that resides on your computer, including, without limitation, the number of searches you do and the time it takes to see your results. Unless you choose to opt out, either during installation or at any time after installation, non-personal information collected will be sent to Google. This information will be used by Google only for purposes of operating and improving future versions of Google Desktop Search and will not be disclosed to any third party or used for any purpose other than as described in this agreement. To learn more, please read the Privacy Policy located at desktop.google.com/privacypolicy.html.
[The excerpt from the "T&C's" implies that you can opt out from the collection of "non-personal information". I'm going to install it myself and see if my firewall can do the same thing. UPDATE: more information - see Google's Desktop Search is valuable, yet creepy , excerpt below. Yet the author states that, according to a "consensus of internet security and privacy experts", GDS will not generate controversy. Note: This version is Beta status and Google has been known to run beta programs for months or years. ]
Desktop Search does three things in particular that could compromise your privacy when someone else uses your computer:
First, the software keeps a copy of all your AOL Instant Messenger conversations. AIM, for many users, is like talking over the water cooler at work -- you say things you don't want preserved for posterity. Until now, AIM conversations with your buddies disappeared from your computer the moment you closed the discussion window. Desktop Search, however, makes a copy of AIM conversations and keeps them forever.
Second, the software keeps its own copy of all your Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail messages -- even after you delete them from within Outlook or Outlook Express. A confidential company memo, in other words, will still pop up during Google searches after you've emptied the Deleted Items folder in Outlook.
Third, the software keeps a copy of every Web page you visit and lists those pages in search results with the date and time of your visit. This even includes Web pages that are supposed to be secure from prying eyes, such as those run by online banking sites.
That means if someone else uses your PC and enters the word "bank" or "brokerage" in Desktop Search, they could uncover your confidential financial information. There are controls within Desktop Search to block each of these three search features, but it's not immediately obvious how to find them and many users will never bother to learn.
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