We all know the temptation. You’re faced with a long text in a language you have no hopes of understanding and you have no desire to become fluent in a day. You begin typing in “t-r-a…” and there your salvation appears: Google Translate. So quick and easily accessible, it seems like the perfect solution to your problem. As you’re about to paste the document into the textbox, you stop. What are you doing? How could you forget? Google translate is not your best friend. Best friends don’t compromise your privacy and data.
What’s the issue with Google Translate’s policy?
Google may be the biggest search engine but that does not mean you should turn to it for everything. For several years, there have been discussions about whether it is safe to use Google Translate as a viable translation tool. Its no-cost, instant result, and easy accessible nature makes it tempting for most. It is far easier to quickly check a few paragraphs in a search-bar than to try and find a translator who is fluent in your target languages. However, those who have delved into Google’s fine print have discovered a catch.
Google’s privacy policy and terms and conditions state outright that Google reserves the right to use and publish information that you have uploaded to their servers, including Google Translate. By using their services, you are therefore granting them a licence to take ownership of your content and use it at their discretion. Their algorithm scans, reads, and processes every piece of information, no matter how minor you think it is. So that confidential legal text that you popped into Google Translate? Yes, that is now the property of Google.
What can go wrong?
This may not seem like such a big deal if you are using Google Translate to read a menu or to check a word or two. However, for major companies, this can have huge consequences. If you have signed a non-disclosure agreement with your client and you then insert their information or part of the contract into Google Translate for whatever reason, you are allowing a third party to have access to information only you are meant to be privy to. While Google personally may not choose to do anything with that information, you are still susceptible to a data breach. Google employs many third-party vendors to help it transfer and store your data. These third-parties may not have strong cybersecurity nor be able to keep out potential hackers from accessing your data. Not too long ago, Translate.Com suffered a massive scandal when it was discovered that confidential data translated on their site was easily accessible on Google and Microsoft search engines. Due to Translate.Com improperly storing data, sensitive information from Statoil, Norway’s state-run oil company, was leaked online. Contracts, retrenchment plans, dismissal letters, and much more became available at a simple click.
What is the solution?
You should never risk your information security for a ‘fast’ translation. Dray Translations takes pride in its quick turnaround time whilst also ensuring that your confidentiality is protected and your information secured. Leave Google Translate behind. You never have to compromise on quality nor privacy when you use our translation service. We’re trustworthy in every language.
