The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a U.S. digital rights group, is concerned that Google’s new Desktop search program is a significant privacy risk, BBC News reports.The new Desktop search program allows users to search multiple computers for information or files.For more on Google’s new Desktop search, read CSO sister publication, CIO’s New Google Desktop Search Tools.In order to search more than one computer, users allow Google to transfer information or files from one computer to the next. This means that Google possesses the files on its own servers. Google’s release of the new search tools comes amidst the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing effort to obtain information on the search habits of its users. The DOJ issued subpoenas to a number of different search entities, like America Online, requesting similar information, but Google is the only one that refused. For more background on Google’s DOJ subpoena refusal, read CIO’s Google Lawsuit to Be Heard in February and Google Subpoena Hearing Postponed.“Coming on the heels of serious consumer concern about government snooping into Google’s search logs, it’s shocking that Google expects its users to now trust it with the contents of their personal computers,” said EFF staff attorney Kevin Bankston. “Unless you configure Google Desktop very carefully, and few people will, Google will have copies of your tax returns, love letters, business records, financial and medical files, and whatever other text-based documents the desktop software can index.” Google has responded to privacy concerns by assuring users that all transferred data will be encrypted and its access restricted. The company also says the data will not be retained for more than 30 days, BBC News reports.“We think this will be a very useful tool, but you will have to give up some of your privacy,” Google’s vice president of search products and user experience, Marissa Mayer said.For more recent action by the EFF, read EFF Sues AT&T Over U.S. Wiretapping Program.Don’t forget to keep checking in at our CSO Security Feed page for updated news coverage. Related content news Apple patches info-stealing, zero day bugs in iPads and Macs The vulnerabilities that can allow the leaking of sensitive information and enable arbitrary code execution have had exploitations in the wild. By Shweta Sharma Dec 01, 2023 3 mins Zero-day vulnerability feature The CSO guide to top security conferences Tracking postponements, cancellations, and conferences gone virtual — CSO Online’s calendar of upcoming security conferences makes it easy to find the events that matter the most to you. By CSO Staff Dec 01, 2023 6 mins Technology Industry IT Skills Events news Conti-linked ransomware takes in $107 million in ransoms: Report A ransomware campaign linked to the ostensibly defunct Conti malware group has targeted mostly US businesses, in a costly series of attacks. By Jon Gold Nov 30, 2023 4 mins Ransomware news Okta confirms recent hack affected all customers within the affected system Contrary to its earlier analysis, Okta has confirmed that all of its customer support system users are affected by the recent security incident. By Shweta Sharma Nov 30, 2023 3 mins Data Breach Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe