This is still a beta version, but the story is worth mentioning and, who knows, how-to-hide-ip readers can be the pioneers who “discovered” this new feature that Google is testing for their Google Chrome browser. Learn how Google Chrome wants to remotely control your computer.
So you may wonder what the heck is Hery Zo trying to warn us about: well, in fact, it’s not necessarily a warning since I think this can be a nice feature provided that it’s widely used.
Google Chrome Remote Desktop
But let’s see first how remote assistance could be done, then we’ll see how Google Chrome Remote Desktop Beta can be interesting. In fact, if you are a computer user (Mac, Linux, Windows), you always needed a native (or platform-driven) remote assistance tool to be installed so that some third-parties or another person can get into your own computer so that they can remotely help you address some issues on your computer (remember those printer issues, those lost files that you want to recover, or that applications that you can find no more? …).
Remote assistance tools usage
In fact, most computer users are basic users who don’t want to have some headaches trying to figure out what’s wrong with their computer (especially when they are on the move). This is where remote assistance tools come handy. However, most solutions that we have found so far have some limitations: most of the time, they require that the same heavy and proprietary software be installed on both computers. For example, I know that Microsoft Windows comes with some tool for doing it: but it requires that the person who’s trying to help you also have similar Microsoft Windows running on his computer so that he can help you.
This is where the concept of Google Chrome Remote Desktop Beta is quite interesting as it comes as this app that can be added to your Chrome browser or on your Chromebook. Not only does it allow two users to share what’s going on one computer (that can be handy for collaborating purposes), but one user can also give a one-time-access to his computer to another person. In fact, the authentication process is based on computer IDs as well as a one-time access-code that is only valid for one session.
What about security?
When it comes to security, Google claims that the session is fully secured: I guess Google will be using HTTPS along with the one-time code.
What I specifically enjoy with this Google Chrome Beta is that it’s fully cross-platform: so long as each user is running Google Chrome, then help can be given (or received) even if one user is using a Mac and the second one runs Linux (or Windows). Given the popularity of Chrome, chances are that most users have it installed on their computer.
The important question: how will Google manage your personal data?
But, as usual, when I put my paranoid hat, I can’t help but wonder how Google will manage the personal data that they will have access to once anyone will be using Google Chrome Remote Desktop. Indeed, the trick is totally different here compared to tracking website behavior: it’s no more about cookies and browsing history- things are moving to a totally different “battlefield” here: Google is setting up a tool that will have access to all your computer’s data via this Google Remote Desktop.
I know, I know, there must be some privacy policy that stipulates that your data will remain yours, but you’re never too sure given the security breaches that can be related to your own computer- Google Chrome can only be secured to the point where they can control it: so if, for example, you run the latest Google Chrome Remote Desktop on a not-updated operating system that has some known security breaches, you can’t be safe enough.
What do you think of Google Chrome remotely control your computer?