Google Terms of Service - Do you read and understand them?

[jshumphries]

I am fully bought into the EVO, Android and what Sprint is doing with this phone. I also work in the software industry and Terms of Service/Terms and Conditions mean a great deal to me. I would venture to guess that a great number of consumers are not aware and do not read the Terms and are aware of their acceptance for Android, Google Apps, Google Voice etc. With all the discussion/uproar about privacy with Facebook and other social sites, I'd like to know what others think about the generic terms below:

[SIZE=-1]11. Content license from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. 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.
11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.
11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.
11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above license.
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[/SIZE]With everything this phone can do, are we really aware of what the consequences or results will be of using this machine for literally everything we do?

 

[jadoe05]

I am fully bought into the EVO, Android and what Sprint is doing with this phone. I also work in the software industry and Terms of Service/Terms and Conditions mean a great deal to me. I would venture to guess that a great number of consumers are not aware and do not read the Terms and are aware of their acceptance for Android, Google Apps, Google Voice etc. With all the discussion/uproar about privacy with Facebook and other social sites, I'd like to know what others think about the generic terms below:

[SIZE=-1]11. Content license from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. 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.
11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.
11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.
11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above license.
​

[/SIZE]With everything this phone can do, are we really aware of what the consequences or results will be of using this machine for literally everything we do?

I believe similar TOS applies to most networking sites, forums, etc. I feel if there is something you truly want kept private don't put it on the internet at all. Even if "only friends" can see it. It's called the world wide web for a reason.

 

[jshumphries]

Point taken, and posts on the web are absolutely out there. In this case, all contacts and calendar entries that we put out there to be synched on the phone and the account are now subject to these terms though right? Does this give Google the right to "own" your personal contacts since they you are using their services now? What about information stored on the device or in the card? Not being paranoid, just looking for others' thoughts.
I utilize the Google account service and the dashboard to be sure what I have and where, in addition to all privacy settings. Their privacy settings are different than Facebook, which are different almost from site to site now. Just wondering if people are giving thought to having the amount of information that can be stored in these superphones and who has "rights" to the information?

 

[jadoe05]

Point taken, and posts on the web are absolutely out there. In this case, all contacts and calendar entries that we put out there to be synched on the phone and the account are now subject to these terms though right? Does this give Google the right to "own" your personal contacts since they you are using their services now? What about information stored on the device or in the card? Not being paranoid, just looking for others' thoughts.
I utilize the Google account service and the dashboard to be sure what I have and where, in addition to all privacy settings. Their privacy settings are different than Facebook, which are different almost from site to site now. Just wondering if people are giving thought to having the amount of information that can be stored in these superphones and who has "rights" to the information?

O ok. I misunderstood that part of your post. lol. I am not 100% sure. I guess it depends on how you look at it. If your contacts and calendar entries are only linked to your google account i don't not believe you have anything to worry about. That's like saying Email isn't secure. Once you link them to facebook or other sites that security goes out of the window. Though i'm not 100% on this.

As far as things on the phone/card, as long as they are not linked to any of the services there isn't a way for them to be compromised short of a virus or being hacked. If you don't put it on the internet it can't get there.

 

[Highland Ranger]

I am less worried about contacts. Basically there is nothing in there that pretty much isn't out there on the web already.

Google Voice . . . I don't know - need to think about that one.

Browsing and stuff would be done through Verizon so Google would have no view to that . . . . .

Picasa? Neat features but limited storage and decided I did not want to use it.

Basically what this says is that they can use your material to promote their service and share with partners but not really anything else.

I don't use Google docs. Feature limited and not cool to have company business floating on the web.

I can't really see where this might be an issue on the personal side.

Does anyone know if the terms are the same for Enterprise customers?