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Verfasst von lap4fsf am Do, 05/21/2015 - 07:39

[PRIVACY ISSUE] Package 'cloudprint' requires Google Cloud Print service to function.

Projekt:Trisquel
Version:7.0
Komponente:Packages
Kategorie:Fehlerbericht
Priorität:critical
Zugewiesen:leny2010
Status:needs more info
Beschreibung

This package enables sharing locally available CUPS printers with the Google Cloud Print Service[1].

Google offers to either use HP ePrint printers or to use the Chromium browser as server to share the local printers to Cloud Print.

HP ePrint printers can receive print jobs with an internet connection via an email to the printer's email address. The email provider can physically track the printer as well as collect information about the print jobs mailed to it[2]. Chromium browser is abandoned by FSF due to vague licensing policy and non-free plugins[3].

In short this package is not a great choice in terms of privacy.

[1] http://www.google.com/cloudprint
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gmail#Criticism
[3] http://libreplanet.org/wiki/List_of_software_that_does_not_respect_the_Free_System_Distribution_Guidelines#chromium-browser

leny2010:
Mo, 07/13/2015 - 00:38
Zugewiesen zu:anonymous» leny2010
Status:active» needs more info

How is package cloudprint invasive of a user's privacy? As in it replaces Chromium and HP ePrint printers with a free software server. So in what specific ways does the package invade the user's privacy?

lap4fsf:
Mo, 07/13/2015 - 07:28

"How is package cloudprint invasive of a user's privacy?"

'cloudprint' package enables sharing locally available CUPS printers with the Google Cloud Print Service. As per Wikipedia's article here:

Documents printed via Google Cloud Print are sent to Google's servers for transmission to the printer. This means that Google has access to them and that, unlike a user's locally stored and printed documents, they are not private.

Unless the source code of their servers are available, we can't believe in Google's claim that the documents will get deleted from their servers once the print job is completed; Or they will keep personnel information associated with it strictly confidential.

"As in it replaces Chromium and HP ePrint printers with a free software server."

The package 'cloudprint' ultimately needs Google Cloud Print to send the document via email to the printer, because it relies on Gmail.

If you are talking about replacing Google Cloud Print service with your own server which runs exclusively free software in cloudprint, it can be doable; But with the present unmodified package, you will have to share your data with Google.

Hope I answered your questions.