[PLUG-TALK] Google asserts you have no expectation of privacy in your email

Rich Shepard rshepard at appl-ecosys.com
Tue Aug 13 23:42:09 UTC 2013


On Tue, 13 Aug 2013, Michael Rasmussen wrote:

> http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/google-tells-court-you-cannot-expect-privacy-when-sending-messages-gmail-people-who-care
> If you want privacy get your own email platform.

   That's interesting, Michael. I've always assumed that mail stored on
someone's server (whether Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft) was subject to
compromise, but not necessarily by the application provider.

   The last paragraph seems weak since the Post Office scans the front of
every letter sent through its system and stores the image so they know to
whom we send an envelop. At least we can expect that they do not open the
envelopes before sending them on.

   The pressure to make money from free software such as gmail should not
surprise us when Google wants to present suitable ads with each delivered
message since that brings them money.

   I assume that most (if not all) ISPs that host mail for their customers
maintain users' privacy. But, so many people using e-mail accounts are quite
computer naive and take the easy way by using yahoo, hotmail, or gmail.

Rich







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