Google Drive Storage Price Drops

[Kchrpm]

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/save-more-with-google-drive.html

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pyLCZA3Ug6g/UyHWNJsildI/AAAAAAAAONs/XWKTrt4M_u0/s1600/drive_blog_pricing2.png

I will be upgrading to 1 TB and making an even more kick-ass online backup/media server workflow this weekend. :up:

[thesameguy]

Do you know if Google has changed their TOS? Eg, do they still have a license to your data?

[Kchrpm]

No idea. Don't they need some license to it, technically, to stream it back to you?

[thesameguy]

Nope, but all of Google's original TOSs gave them an unrestricted right to data stored on their servers (including Apps, etc.) presumably so they could access it to better refine how they advertised to you. The other side of this is that any confidential matters you may have stored there are no longer confidential - Essentially, data stored on Google's cloud services included no expectation of privacy. That can have significant legal ramifications in a number of ways.

[Kchrpm]

Similar to using Gmail?

[Kchrpm]

Went from 90+% used to 9%, giggity.

I should look into when I last paid for storage to make sure I get credit for what was "remaining."

[Jason]

Nope, but all of Google's original TOSs gave them an unrestricted right to data stored on their servers (including Apps, etc.) presumably so they could access it to better refine how they advertised to you. The other side of this is that any confidential matters you may have stored there are no longer confidential - Essentially, data stored on Google's cloud services included no expectation of privacy. That can have significant legal ramifications in a number of ways.

I did not know this of Drive... I think I need to research the ToS and potentially remove some files...

[thesameguy]

I don't know it is still true, but it was true. I do a lot of looking at cloud storage terms because I use them in legal applications. Sticking data on the cloud and granting a third party an unlimited license removes major barriers to other damn dirty lawyers getting their hands on it - not to mention the gubment and such. I stick to Dropbox and Microsoft Skydrive (now Onedrive, I think). Google may have changed their terms as there was a big uproar about them when they implemented them, but they went off my go-to list so I never checked back in. Also, I'm not singling Google out - other cloud storage providers had similar terms, we're just talking about Google. ;)

This is/was some scary ass shit


"Your Content in our Services: When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes that we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.

Emphasis mine, but shit.

[Kchrpm]

Yeah, I thought they explained that in order to process videos and stream the processed videos back to you and whoever else you shared it to in different formats and resolutions, they needed that license in the TOS.

[Kchrpm]

http://m.cnet.com/news/the-google-drive-faq/57420402?ds=1

Under the heading, Your Content in our Services in Google's terms of service, Google states, "You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours."

That means that Google can't use your content for commercial purposes without your consent. However, the TOS also states that, "you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones."

For content that is yours, Google can't re-use it for its own purposes. But it can use content you upload in order to serve you. This can include integrating services together (like reading your scanned pictures in order to OCR them), and it can include analyzing your files to target advertisements to you. Google already does this in GMail. Google doesn't currently serve ads in Google Docs (now called Google Drive), but it may, according to its license agreement, use data about the content you upload to target ads to you anywhere on the service.

Google may also give up your data in response to a legal demand, like a subpoena. If you want your cloud storage to be a little more out of touch, you might be interested in Wuala, which has no storage servers in the United States. Or you might just want to keep your data off the Internet.
Emphasis added.

[thesameguy]

I read their explanation, but if it came down to a court battle and you had granted someone the license to create derivative works you would lose a lot of ground. If someone has been given a license to create derivative works they own the license to that work, not you. They may not be able to use what you put there for commercial purposes, but once they have created a derivative work that could be used for commercial purposes. Or anything they want. "Derivative work" is a very broad term, and I wouldn't want the US court system to be involved in defining what that means when it comes to my Very Important Stuff. I understand what they're saying, and I don't think it's likely they'd pull something evil but since Drive is one of the few name-brand cloud storage options that has such ridiculous language, it's better for me just to stay away and not run the risk at all.

I am also not keen on a service deriving content information about my data, whatever it might be, in order to serve me ads. It's the same reason I stay off Facebook. I don't like corporate America using stuff I do online to paint a picture of me. I don't think it's fair and I don't think it's right so, again, I stay away and use services that don't engage in such behavior.

Edit: So, anyway, it sounds like no, they haven't changed their TOSs. :lol:

[Kchrpm]

Yes, from an "I'm worried about my chances winning a legal battle" standpoint, Google would crush you. If that is a genuine concern, then I would guess no Google services are good for you.

[Yw-slayer]

Well, they use it to "Auto-Awesome" your uploaded photos/videos.