Google is "pretty sure" your data is safe, Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said Friday at a panel discussion at South by Southwest Interactive.
Google has upgraded the encryption process it uses to help keep people's information secure, he said. The company was in the process of improving its encryption process when the Edward Snowden revelations came to light, which made the company expedite the process, Schmidt said.
"We were attacked by the Chinese in 2010 and the NSA in 2013," he said.
"We are pretty sure the information that is inside of Google right now is safe from prying eyes, especially the government," Schmidt said. "We think your data is very safe."
Schmidt and Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen spoke about the intersection of technology and privacy. While Google is working to protect users' search data from spying, Schmidt said that once someone publishes something online, it's never really going away.
"Information is very powerful. It can be used and misused, and you have to respect that," he said.
— Cadie Thompson, CNBC.com
This is a condensed version of a report from CNBC.com. Read the full report.
