This issue is supposedly benign, known, and explained on the help forums, but I'm really surprised that it hasn't become a news story. Apparently a recent bug-fix for the Google auto-updater causes it to silently download and install Google Earth (and maybe other apps) if you have had it or other Google products previously installed. Even on strict security machines, it simply appears as a newly installed program. It's kinda freaky, to say the least.
Now, say what you will about Google's disregard for people's PCs (as most on the Google forum threads are), but I think what's being overlooked for the most part here is that Windows UAC fails to catch this. Windows shouldn't have allowed this even if Google were intentionally trying to install their software on my machine, because malware writers certainly care less about privacy than Google might. I think this represents a big giant hole in Windows' security.
Edit: I totally should have included these to begin with:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/earth/thread?tid=187253c1194d8e47&hl=en
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/earth/thread?tid=602e448f06b61d5d&hl=en
Now, say what you will about Google's disregard for people's PCs (as most on the Google forum threads are), but I think what's being overlooked for the most part here is that Windows UAC fails to catch this. Windows shouldn't have allowed this even if Google were intentionally trying to install their software on my machine, because malware writers certainly care less about privacy than Google might. I think this represents a big giant hole in Windows' security.
Edit: I totally should have included these to begin with:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/earth/thread?tid=187253c1194d8e47&hl=en
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/earth/thread?tid=602e448f06b61d5d&hl=en
