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  • Google's New Offshore Data Centers - Mysterious and Creepy
Technology Articles > Software > System Utilities > Google's New Offshore Data Centers - Mysterious and Creepy

There's an island in San Francisco Bay called 'Treasure Island.' There's nothing new about this mass of land, but there is a new structure being built on the island. This building is called 'Building 3,' and speculations are that Google owns the new building. What is the search giant up to?

It seems as though Google is working on an off-shore data center. This data center would be, technically, located in a sort of no-man's land since it's off-short. That means that the center would be out of the reach of any government. But, there's more to this data center too - a lot more.

Cooled By the Ocean'

Google's new data center would be cooled by the ocean waves making it an eco-friendly building. This will appease the green-minded, while also giving Google green bragging rights. Plus, the ability to regulate temperatures within a data center using the ocean waves will cut down on Google's costs drastically.

The San Francisco data center isn't all that Google has been up to, though.

Another Data Center?

Residents of Portland, Maine, have noticed a peculiarly big building that resembles a data center just off the coast. Again, many are speculating that this data center is owned by Google - and it happens to be registered to the same company that is directly connected with Google. That would mean that Google is building two off-shore data centers - not just one.

Why is Google going to such lengths to build offshore data centers? When any building is in international waters, that building (or ship or structure) isn't within reach of the U.S. Government. Since Google has been facing a lot of negative press linked with the NSA, building an offshore data center means that the NSA can't touch Google any longer. Thus, Google could, potentially, restore the company's reputation as a trustworthy option.

A Different Way of Looking At Things

There's another side to this story too. Sure, an offshore data center would keep private data private, but it also means that Google can do anything with any kind of data. So, yes, Google could keep your data from prying government eyes, but the offshore aspect of this also means that your data is no longer protected by government laws. That's an interesting dilemma, isn't it?

Google will also have to find a way to keep the offshore data centers safe from hackers. Data center break-ins is a real threat in the physical world. Even if a center is offshore and floating in the middle of the ocean, that doesn't mean that its not susceptible to theft, hacks, and other problems. Google will have to create security that's paralleled to Alcatraz. It all sounds very spooky, doesn't it?

Google is trying to get out from under the government's nose, but let's not forget that Google has more personal and private data than most other businesses. Does this make storing your data with Google safer - or just less accessible? Let me know what you think!