Google Drive Privacy Policy:
How Private are Your Files?

Google Drive, the Internet giant's answer to services like DropBox, is causing a buzz in the world of cloud storage, with excited Google followers signing up for the service without looking twice. The problem, however, is while most cloud storage services pride themselves on how secure they keep your files, Google doesn't exactly make it clear that privacy is a priority.

Take Spideroak, for example. Not only are your files triple encrypted upon backup, but they also have a true zero-knowledge password and data policy. This means that your password never goes to their headquarters and you are the only one that will ever have knowledge of it. More importantly, not even Spideroak employees have access to your data. Here is a quote from their privacy policy:

"The data that you transmit as part of your use of the Services (“Storage Data”) is in encrypted form and SpiderOak does not have access to your Storage Data in its unencrypted form."

In contrast, here is a quote from Google's terms of service:

"When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content."

Though Google will never claim to own or use your content, and would probably never want to, the language of their terms suggests that they have the right to use it. Since using Google Drive clearly includes submitting your content, your data is available for their use and will never be completely private like with other cloud storage services whose terms clearly state the privacy of your data. Combine that with all the information you have stored in Gmail, Google+, Google Docs, etc. and Google has access to a good portion of your private information.

And what if you are hacked? Since you use the same username and password for all of your Google services, the hackers have access to all of the data that Google has been mining, from your email to all the files you store in Google Drive.

If you are truly concerned about your privacy and safety, don't put all of your important computer documents solely in Google's hands, in addition to all of the information you have already provided. Opt for a separate cloud storage service that will also backup your entire computer, privately.

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