Google’s Chrome browser seems to have grabbed a lot of media attention since its release. With people reviewing the performance and security aspects of the brwoser to some predicting the end of the IE monopoly and the eventual demise of Firefox. But of all the Hoo-Haa, the one thing thats being most talked about lately is Google’s EULA for Chrome. All of the technical aspects (read bugs/shortcomings) of the browser can be dispensed saying that this is just the Beta and Google would eventually rectify all of them. However, how does one sideline the License. Lets take a closer look.

Now I must admit, I totally ignored the EULA when I installed Chrome [was very excited and just wanted to get started]. I just went “Next, Click… Next, Click.. Install… Yippee!!!“. But little did I realise that there were some clauses that would really kick up a storm.

“By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any content which you submit, post or display on or through, the services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the services and may be revoked for certain services as defined in the additional terms of those services.”

Or as someone put it

“Your Privacy Goes Up in Smoke”

If you are interested in reading through Chrome’s entire privacy policy, please Click Here

A few question that come up are

– If I send an email from within Chrome, is that now Google’s Properly.
– If I create documents or upload photos using Google’s own services, am I sharing the copyright?

Well I am certainly no legal eagle, but on the face of it, it does look and sound very Ominous. [Buhahaaha....]

I understand that the motivation behind Chrome was to enhance the surfers experience and bring the browser more up to date with today’s internet applications. But in the process Google seems to be creating a silent monopoly with all roads [read address bars] leading to Google’s flagship product, its search engine.

Please note that I am very big fan of the Google search engine and many of its services/products. However, I do feel the need not to speak up on what I feel isn’t right no matter how sour it may taste.

Now if you don’t like the EULA, you can just download the code from the Chromium project [the open-source project behind Google Chrome], build the application and start using the browser. Click here if you are interested.

So I guess its finally down to us users to decide between Chrome and Chromium.

P.S: For quick access please find below the links to the respective pages.
1. Google Chrome’s Privacy Policy
2. The Chromium Project

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