Google: 'Your Content Is Not Ours!"

A few days ago, some of the online communities of users talked about a special clause of Google Docs & Spreadsheets that was quite unclear and let us think our documents can be used by the super giant Google for its own purposes. If you never read the terms and condition for Docs & Spreadsheets, here's what the special part sustains: "By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through Google services which are intended to be available to the members of the public, you grant Google a worldwide, nonexclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, adapt, modify, publish and distribute such content on Google services for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting Google services."

As CNET reports, numerous users expressed their concerns over the clause as their privacy might be easily infringed. Google Australia quickly rolled out a statement to clarify the matter, saying that your documents are not published on the Internet unless the owner chooses so using the functions implemented into the technology.

"We don't claim ownership or control over content in Google Docs & Spreadsheets, whether you're using it as an individual or through Google Apps," Google Australia wrote according to CNET.

"To be clear, Google will not use your documents beyond the scope that you and you alone control. Australians' work documents and (soccer-oriented spreadsheets) are not going to end up shared with anyone unless the user expressly wants them to be!"

This is quite an important matter because it is related to the users' privacy, a problem that attracted an avalanche of criticism over the Mountain View company. In case you haven't heard, the super giant Google was criticized by several officials, forcing the firm to modify its privacy guidelines in order to protect the users. A few weeks ago, Google announced an important change into its privacy guidelines: the users' logs will be anonymized after 18 months or 24 months in the countries with special laws.