Is Google an Open Source Software?

Over the years, Google has become an essential part of our lives. We use it for almost everything – from researching topics to finding directions to browsing images and videos. But is Google an open source software? That’s what we’ll discuss in this article.

What’s Open Source Software?

Open source software refers to software that is released under a license that allows users to freely use, modify, and share the source code of the software. This means anyone can access, download, compile and modify the source code of the software. Open source software is often developed by a group of people and is free to use.

Does Google Qualify as Open Source Software?

No, Google does not qualify as open source software. While Google does provide access to some of its source code, it does not offer it for free and does not allow users to modify it. Google also does not allow users to redistribute their modified versions of the software. As such, it does not meet the criteria for open source software.

What Does Google Offer?

Google does provide some of its source code under certain licenses. For example, the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is an open source version of the Android operating system. However, many of Google’s services and products are proprietary, meaning they are not open source. For example, Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Chrome are all proprietary services.

Conclusion

Google does not qualify as an open source software. While it does provide access to some of its source code under certain licenses, the majority of its products are proprietary and are not open source. As such, users cannot freely use, modify, and share the source code of Google’s products.