PIcasa = safe?

[patman0623]

I have run multiple programs from Google in the past, and I have never been impressed with the security. My firewall on Windows was always going amok with Google Sidebar and Chrome.

As a result, I'm a bit weary of running Picasa on my Linuxbox. It would save a lot of download time though from Picasa albums. Any suggestions on if I should install this program? Or is the Wine version safer?

Thanks.

PS: clarification: it's not that I'm as worried about someone hacking my machine with Picasa installed, although that is a consideration; I just don't like the idea of Google sitting there looking at all my machine data and pictures.

[akoskm]

I have run multiple programs from Google in the past, and I have never been impressed with the security. My firewall on Windows was always going amok with Google Sidebar and Chrome.

As a result, I'm a bit weary of running Picasa on my Linuxbox. It would save a lot of download time though from Picasa albums. Any suggestions on if I should install this program? Or is the Wine version safer?

Thanks.

PS: clarification: it's not that I'm as worried about someone hacking my machine with Picasa installed, although that is a consideration; I just don't like the idea of Google sitting there looking at all my machine data and pictures.
As far as I know the Linux version is running on wine. No other option.