Google Chrome: the devil is in the details
Google Chrome made its debut and has instantly become the talk of the blog world and beyond. Even here in Eugene, Oregon, the local newspaper today dedicated a half page to an article titled “Google redefines the browser”. What is the hoopla all about? A browser that puts tabs above the address bar instead of below it and runs web sites in their own process to prevent one website from crashing all open tabs. If a smaller company had released a product like this, nobody would have ever noticed. Coming from Google, this is headline news in all corners of the planet.
So what is interesting about Google Chrome? It’s not the technical internals like the number of processes or the position of browser tabs. No, this time the devil is in the legal details. The license agreement reveals a lot about Google’s plans and thinking. The original language of Google Chrome’s license agreement contained the following language:
11. Content license from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.
11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.
11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.
11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above license.
Wow. In other words, use this browser and sign your life away. It’s all fine print, so nobody will read it anyway, right? Not quite. Some bloggers actually did read the fine print and started making a fuss about it. Google, realizing that this could turn into something ugly, acted quickly and removed the offending language. It’s hard to imagine an enormous company like Google not having an appropriate review process that would catch these “mistakes” if they were unintentional. Especially since the exact same thing happened when Google Docs was launched: Google claimed unreasonably excessive rights on anything you created using Google docs.
No big deal, “mistakes were made” and they were corrected… right? Well, sort of. There is more language in the Google Chrome license agreement that may give consumers (that’s you!) pause:
17. Advertisements
17.1 Some of the Services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions. These advertisements may be targeted to the content of information stored on the Services, queries made through the Services or other information.
17.2 The manner, mode and extent of advertising by Google on the Services are subject to change without specific notice to you.
17.3 In consideration for Google granting you access to and use of the Services, you agree that Google may place such advertising on the Services.
In other words, Google reserves the right to watch your every move, to keep a record of it, and make money off of your privacy through advertising. Google also reserve the right to change their policy and find new ways to use and monitor your information without telling you. You get a free browser and all they want from you is your right to privacy. Pretty good deal, right? For Google.
Commercial software companies have a very simple proposition to consumers: you pay some money, and you get to use their software. Google’s business model is all about advertising: You get lots of stuff for free, in return for giving up your privacy, which allows Google to sell more targeted advertising.
I actually believe that this can be a legitimate business model, as long as everyone knows exactly what they are getting and giving up. Frankly, I’m not sure that consumers realize the amount of personal information they surrender when they start using Google’s products and services. Google’s self-proclaimed motto of “Don’t be evil” may appear somewhat ironic if you consider that its proposition to consumers is starting to look more and more like a pact with the devil: you get unlimited free software and services but slowly, bit by bit, you end up selling your soul. No wonder they’re worth more than $140 Billion.