Apparently Google is going to start paying US$1 per referral to get users to download and install Firefox: InformationWeek > Google > Google Gets Closer To Firefox > November 9, 2005: [Google] is providing its ad publishers with a set of buttons that Web site visitors can use to download Firefox with the Google Toolbar ... Site operators using the buttons will be paid $1 each time someone installs the browser and toolbar. I'm yet to find anything on the Google's public website about this, but that could just be due to Google's website being crap. Update: Google does mention the general situation at https://www.google.com/adsense/referrals, although you probably have to sign up to AdSense before they'll admit the actual dollar amount.

I guess the benefit to Google is getting more users running their toolbar, so it the toolbar must collect data worth more (to Google) than $1 per user. I wonder how much we can genuinely trust Google?

No matter, I use Opera anyway ;)