Comment by devx
12 years ago
I'm hoping Google ends up buying the ECC patents from Blackberry and then make them public domain or at least say they will allow everyone to use them for free and with no consequences. I know they want to buy some stuff from Blackberry right now, but not sure if they are considering buying the ECC patents, too, or not.
I'd feel a lot better if Google bought them than say Microsoft or some other company, who'd just try to collect royalties from anyone using them, and I feel that will make things a lot worse for security on the web in the future, especially with Microsoft's long-standing relationship with the NSA.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-c...
That being said, I'm very disappointed in Larry Page's statement about encryption and quantum computers:
> Lloyd made his pitch, proposing a quantum version of Google’s search engine whereby users could make queries and receive results without Google knowing which questions were asked. The men were intrigued. But after conferring with their business manager the next day, Brin and Page informed Lloyd that his scheme went against their business plan. “They want to know everything about everybody who uses their products and services,” he joked.
It bothers me a lot that the leaders of Google would think like that, even though I knew they would because of the incentives in their business. But I just wish they found way for their business to work, so they do not have to think like that, and be more on the side of users on this issue, than they are right now.
Unless their thinking about user-privacy and security changes, we should never fully trust Google (even if they are better than the rest right now). That sort of thinking means they will never go the all the way to protect their users, which probably why you will never see OTR or ZRTP in Google's chat services. All the data collection they do will also become increasingly more irresistible to governments, especially if they keep it forever.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/computers-big-data...
I don't trust Google more than anyone else out there. They are in the business of making money and don't much of a damn about their users. The only reason the NSA spying is a problem for them (imo) is that it may affect their bottom line due to user concerns and therefore affect their products. NSA has direct line to Google Cloud, guess I'm better hosting my own servers rather than pay for business Google Mail and Drive. I'm not sure Google would give it away for free, they now own Motorola remember, in the fight against all the phone giants, patents are king!
The 2nd part makes no sense at all. Why would Google not want to know everything about you. That just goes completely against their business model. There is no such thing as a free lunch.