I'm replying to this thread since there's three now
Not as a sly comment, but we are naive to think that this information will only be used for their profit and benefit. History has often proven otherwise; no matter how honorable their wishes, there will be leaks. Though google is not 'willingly' giving up personal information of it's users, who's to say it can't be taken from? There are more ways than one, and if you question that, I'll post up multiple US history references (and highly interesting books) that speak otherwise.
Just because google says it doesn't make it untouchable gold.
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// Art is what you can get away with. <-- Andy Warhol
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Google will be driven by their business needs. If Google are committing a crime according to any countrys laws, they will have a hard time working out of that country any longer. Thus, Google will try not to break Swedish law, because they want to continue business in Sweden. They will want to not do anything that might offend Swedes as whole, because Google are interested in the people that Sweden might put through their services. Same goes, in a higher degree, to countries with larger population. If California passes that law, Google will abide it, there and elsewhere. Even if California does not pass the law, Google will try not to break it because there are other laws in the background, in the US and elsewhere, that might hamper their business needs.
Google are trying to give the image to the knight in the shining white armour. They might be driven by humans with such an attitude right now, but they will not be forever. However, we can never expect any source to keep data safe. What we can do, is look at how open they are about their architecture, and how that architecture handles it. Google have previously been very forthcoming in this aspect, and taken privacy and security very seriously. However, the only thing that can prevent such a thing from happening is that Google would take meassures that prevents the possiblity. Architectural meassures. And with the current Google leadership, I would believe that such a structure is the most likely one. However, even if such an architecture is not devised, I do believe that the issues I addressed in the first paragraph weigh heavy on them keeping to a strict privacy and security.
All good points -- I think my fear is less with google, and more with what others would like to do with google's stored data. Mostly, I base this on our current Patriot Act which allows the claiming of relevant data in the question of 'terrorist' cells. I could easily see that shoddy claim used to retrieve any relevant information they deem needed... which means almost everything. Other than that Act, there are countless number of privacy violations daily.
And, regardless of our State of California laws, they are constantly in conflict with federal laws. Current Proposition 215, passed by california voters, allows Medical patients to use 'Marijuana' prescribed by their doctor -- the Federal government has deemed this law counterproductive to their drug enforcement division. Therefore, Oakland - San Francisco - and many others deputize employees to enact the Proposition, and DEA agents arrest them. There are many more like these at http://www.free-market.net/
So, if it's privacy protection is passed in California, what if it is deemed important for National security to have access? Then it's US property.
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// Art is what you can get away with. <-- Andy Warhol
...:.:::: bradyjfrey.com : htmldog : ::::.:...
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