Google's ChromeOS will make people lose control over their data, says Richard Stallman

Chrome-OS-Logo

Founder of GNU project Richard Stallman has said that Google's new cloud ChromeOS will push people to get involved in careless computing. Richard Stallman thinks that putting personal data on a cloud rather than a single machine decreases the control over it.

Richard Stallman, who is the advocate of free software (also creator of the free software foundation), said making extensive use of cloud computing was "worse than stupidity" two years back. Richard believes that by putting data over cloud you would lose control over it.

Richard Stallman says that putting data over Google's server rather than your personal machines might make people lose legal rights over their data. Stallman points out: "In the US, you even lose legal rights if you store your data in a company's machines instead of your own. The police need to present you with a search warrant to get your data from you; but if they are stored in a company's server, the police can get it without showing you anything. They may not even have to give the company a search warrant."

Stallman who is unimpressed of Google's ChromeOS says,"I think that marketers like "cloud computing" because it is devoid of substantive meaning. The term's meaning is not substance, it's an attitude: 'Let any Tom, Dick and Harry hold your data, let any Tom, Dick and Harry do your computing for you (and control it).' Perhaps the term 'careless computing' would suit it better."

He sees a creeping problem: "I suppose many people will continue moving towards careless computing, because there's a sucker born every minute. The US government may try to encourage people to place their data where the US government can seize it without showing them a search warrant, rather than in their own property. However, as long as enough of us continue keeping our data under our own control, we can still do so. And we had better do so, or the option may disappear."

Stallman says he only sees one positive aspect of ChromeOS: its GNU/Linux heritage. "In essence, Chrome OS is the GNU/Linux operating system. However, it is delivered without the usual applications, and rigged up to impede and discourage installing applications," he told the Guardian. "I'd say the problem is in the nature of the job ChromeOS is designed to do. Namely, encourage you to keep your data elsewhere, and do your computing elsewhere, instead of doing it in your own computer."

I somehow agree with Stallman. What do you think about concerns over cloud computing and ChromeOS?

Iqrash Awan

Some say he’s half man half fish, others say he’s more of a seventy/thirty split. Either way he’s a fishy bastard.

1 comment:

  1. Every new big thing comes with some kind of concerns but in this article never mentioned any good things using of cloud, if you worrying about police then it is good that you should't be doing any such things you afraid of i.e wrong things

    ReplyDelete