Google Docs is a web-based (cloud) application accessible to everyone. You can write, edit, and save documents all in your browser, with most features still functional without an internet connection. If this were a standalone application disconnected from the cloud, you wouldn’t get as many perks based on a connection to Google’s other cloud services, namely Google Drive which lets you save your files on the cloud. Otherwise, it’s just your standard document creation and editing tool.
Although Google could see everything I write, I don’t have concerns for my privacy and safety while using it. Google is a trusted company and I do not think that they have had any privacy-related concerns or issues before in relation to their cloud apps. According to them, our files are encrypted as well and stored in secure data centers.
BlueStacks is a computer app that emulates a phone so that you can download almost any mobile app and game and run it through the emulator on your computer. The biggest advantage to having it run using a distributed network is that your downloaded applications are stored in the cloud. They can take up a lot of space on your computer so it’s very nice to be able to download so many without having them downloaded onto your device. I have so many apps taking up space on my computer as is, I appreciate not having so many applications on my hard drive.
I used it a couple of times to access the mobile version of Instagram and it makes me wonder a little if it could see what I do and like and keep my data. I have a larger concern, though. They state that they don’t take any user data besides device-specific data like ‘hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers and mobile network information including phone number.’ I impulse-downloaded BlueStacks a couple of years ago to get a specific game, and I don’t like the sound of ‘unique device identifiers and mobile network information including phone number.’ I don’t see how they would get those off my laptop, and it’s most likely benign, but I don’t feel that comfortable with it. I honestly wish I had read more before installing it.
resources vvv
https://www.bluestacks.com/terms-and-privacy.html
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-is-cloud-computing#fbid=CDQGL8QmD3y