Internxt vs Google Drive: How to Protect Your Files from Google

Have you ever really asked yourself why you’re using Google Drive? Sure, they give you a generous amount of free storage and other features, but at what cost?

The privacy of your files.

Signing up for Google Drive may seem like a good product to help you store your files online, but Google holds all the power when it comes to:

• How your files are encrypted and decrypted
• Analysing your content
• Monitoring your activity in Drive
• Device fingerprinting (a data profile linked to your device)
• File monitoring
• And much, much more.

As we live in an era centered around technology, the risks to our data increase. More and more companies are turning to data collection and monitoring to profit from our sensitive information.

While companies like Google Drive make money from our information, it puts users at risk of data breaches, which can put us at financial risk while Big Tech companies gain all the profit.

So, what’s the alternative to Google Drive?

Internxt Drive prioritizes your data security and privacy, and throughout this article, you will find out why internxt is a more secure alternative to Google Drive.

• Google Drive privacy recap
• Internxt Drive vs Google Drive and how Internxt protects your privacy
• Internxt vs Google Drive: Privacy laws
• Google Drive privacy fines 2019 - 2023
• Internxt Drive vs Google Drive: securing your cloud storage

Google Drive privacy recap

Google Drive may be secure, but the issue is privacy, which is a huge problem for a cloud provider you trust to store your private files.

In a previous article, we discussed Google's Privacy Policy and how it analyzes, monitors, and collects your personal information in depth, but here is a quick recap of how Google treats your personal information.

Content sharing

Google can share your content in limited ways:

“with other users and companies helping them manage the services. Including personalization (ads based on your interests).”

Basic information

“languages you speak, to more complex things like which ads you’ll find most useful, the people who matter most to you online, or which YouTube videos you might like”

Content monitoring

“content you create, upload, or receive from others [...] email you write and receive, photos and videos you save, docs and spreadsheets you create, and comments you make on YouTube videos.”

Activity tracking

“Activity information from your use of Google Drive”

Device fingerprinting

“We also collect information about the interaction of your apps, browsers, and devices with our services, including IP address”

Privacy laws

“We may also disclose information about you if we determine that for purposes of national security, law enforcement, or other issues”

If any of this scares you and you’re looking for an alternative to Google Drive, rest assured that if you choose Internxt Drive, we will not do what Google does.

In fact, we take extreme precautions to protect your privacy.

Internxt Drive vs Google Drive and how Internxt protects your privacy

Internxt Drive is the perfect combination of security and privacy, allowing you to regain control of your data and switch to a more private alternative to Google Drive. With Internxt, your data is protected by the following features.

Encryption

Internxt employs AES-256 end-to-end encryption, meaning your data is encrypted on your device and remains encrypted throughout its entire journey to our servers and back. Only you hold the encryption key, ensuring that even if someone intercepts your data, they can't read it without your key.

Because you hold the encryption key, nobody, not even Internxt, can read, analyze, monitor, or hand your data over to law enforcement agencies.

On the other hand, while Google encrypts data during transmission and stored on their servers, they hold the encryption keys.

This means that Google has access to your data and could decrypt and access it if law enforcement requires it or for other reasons. The privacy policy summary above confirms this.

Internxt uses end-to-end encryption in all its products to ensure that users have sole control over their encryption keys and eliminates the possibility of unauthorized access to their data.

By placing encryption keys solely in the hands of users, Internxt Drive removes the risk of third-party access, providing a higher level of privacy and security compared to services like Google Drive.

Open Source and audited

Internxt has nothing to hide. How we build our product and protect your data is available to everyone who wants to view the source code from our GitHub page.

Internxt’s commitment to transparency ensures that there are no hidden vulnerabilities, as the code is open for community scrutiny. Users can also verify that their data is handled securely and that there are no unauthorized access points.

In contrast, closed-source software, like Google's, keeps its code proprietary, limiting users' ability to verify its security measures. This lack of transparency introduces uncertainty regarding data handling practices and potential vulnerabilities, undermining user trust and privacy.

Although Google makes its data collection available online, users cannot access other, more complex security features, as Google keeps its source code a secret.

Internxt also successfully passed a security audit from an independent penetration testing company to certify that the Internxt product suite is secure and safe from hackers.

Anonymity

Internxt protects your data from the moment you create an account thanks to the following process for anonymous account creation. Here is how this process works:

1. Account Creation: When you create an account with Internxt, you receive a client that securely stores your mnemonic, a unique passphrase used for encryption. This client is like your master account.
2. Encryption: Internxt encrypts your mnemonic with your password before it’s sent to their systems. This ensures that only you can decrypt the mnemonic using your password.
3. Security: Each time you log in, your password decrypts the mnemonic, which is then used to generate unique encryption keys for each file. This means your files are encrypted and decrypted only on your device, ensuring end-to-end encryption.
4. Data Privacy: Unlike Google Drive, where Google holds the encryption keys and can access your data, Internxt’s method ensures that only you can access and decrypt your files. This provides a higher level of privacy and security.

Internxt Drive: access your files from any device

Internxt is available on all operating systems, Windows, MacOS, and mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Unlike Google Drive, Internxt Drive is available for Linux and offers WebDav support via the Internxt CLI. This ensures that the same zero-knowledge encryption guarantees your file’s security.

Internxt Drive vs Google Drive pricing

Internxt Drive offers more storage than Google Drive - which maxes out at 2TB. While Google offers its full product suite at this price, as we have seen, it comes at a great cost to your personal privacy.

Both Internxt and Google Drive offer:

• 2TB monthly cloud storage: €9.99 per month
• A minimum storage plan with Google is 100GB at €1.99 per month
• Internxt offers more storage, starting at 200GB, for €4.99 per month.

As most of us use cloud storage to store our files, there is a greater need for more storage space.

This is why Internxt also offers 2TB, 5TB, and 10TB plans for all its monthly and annual plans. Lifetime plans are also available if you want to commit to securing your files in complete privacy forever.

You can also try Internxt for free forever by signing up for an account (no credit card information required).

Internxt vs Google Drive: Privacy laws

Internxt's adherence to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) ensures a higher standard of data protection and privacy for users than Google, which operates under less stringent regulations.

GDPR mandates strict guidelines for the handling of personal data, including transparent data processing, explicit user consent, and robust security measures.

By following GDPR guidelines, Internxt prioritizes user privacy and security, providing greater assurance that users' personal information is handled responsibly and ethically.

To clarify the Internxt vs. Google Drive argument, let’s examine the many fines Google Drive has paid over the years.

Google Drive privacy fines 2019 to 2023

Over the past five years, Google has faced significant fines for not following data collection or privacy laws or breaching other policies, which allowed it to unfairly gain an advantage over its competition.

2019

€1.3 Billion (EU): This hefty fine came from the European Commission (EC) for restricting competition in the online advertising market.

Google allegedly forced phone manufacturers to use the Android operating system to pre-install Google Search and Chrome browsers, stifling competition from other providers.

2020

$17 Million (US): The US Department of Justice (DOJ) penalized Google for obstructing an investigation related to its alleged anti-competitive practices in the online advertising market.

2021

€2.4 Billion (EU): The French Competition Authority (FCA) fined Google for abusing its dominant position in online advertising by unfairly favoring its own ad-serving platform.

2022

€1.2 Billion (EU): The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) hit Google with a record fine for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The case involved Google's handling of user data for personalized advertising.

$100 Million (US): The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and eight states jointly fined Google for misleading consumers about location tracking practices on Android devices.

2023

€405 Million (EU): The Irish DPC fined Google for illegally processing children's data on its platforms, specifically concerning the operation of Instagram business accounts by teenagers.

€50 Million (EU): The French data protection agency (CNIL) fined Google and Facebook for making it too difficult for users to opt out of cookie tracking.

Grand total: €4.355 Billion (EU) + $117 Million (US)

Internxt, on the other hand, strictly follows GDPR laws and has even won awards in Spain for its commitment to providing users with a secure cloud storage platform.

Internxt Drive vs Google Drive: securing your cloud storage

Due to the increasing costs of fines, Google is willing to pay each year, it seems clear that they are more comfortable paying these large amounts rather than actually taking measures to protect your privacy with Google Drive.

As Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things advance further and become part of the Google product suite, the need for privacy is greater than ever.

For this reason, Internxt Drive is the only alternative to Google Drive that protects your data and values your security online. It offers affordable pricing and vast amounts of cloud storage and never tracks your activities online or in the cloud.

Your data and files are completely private, so switch to Internxt today and protect yourself from Google’s watchful eye.