In Brussels, Internet search giant Google announced “an exciting new product” to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its web-based Gmail. This was revealed to be that Google Labs is now available in 47 languages. This feature allows Google to launch highly experimental add-ons to its email service, such as ‘ail Goggles that acts as an online breathalyser by offering a series of calculations that have to be completed correctly before an email can be sent, or features to check if an attachment has been forgotten.

This step strengthens Google’s ambitions to challenge Microsoft and Yahoo as providers of not just email, but software. Connected to Gmail is Google Docs, a basic replacement for Microsoft Office, but based on Google’s servers and accessed through a web browser. This also allows several people to work on a central document rather than emailing endless updates to each other. Although the public is welcome to the free service, behind the scenes, Google has been building up a paying client base amongst business for their enterprise level support.

However, Gmail is still in fourth place, behind Hotmail, AOL, and Yahoo, but they remain tight-lipped about how many users they have, although it is estimated to be around 30 million. Google is equally reticent about why Gmail is in beta, five years after launch, claiming that they still have some functions they would like to add before leaving the beta stage. They won’t say what these features are though. There are growing concerns over the company, whose motto is Don’t Be Evil, and about the sheer amount of data that passes through its hands. In January, 2006 they agreed to censor search results in China on behalf of the government, a decision that alarmed many.

When asked if Gmail and Google Docs would be safe for a Chinese dissident to use, if there were any circumstances when they would hand over data to the authorities, Google spokesman, Bill Echikson, said that they valued users privacy and that trust was vital to their business and that they abide by the law at the same, without explaining the paradox or contradiction. The query, “In this case, would that be Chinese law or US law?” returned zero results as Echikson said he didn’t know. Google faces further questions from Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva on its use of personal data for their use of targeted advertising and the Commission will be looking for answers.