Google admits Gmail lack of privacy

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Google admits Gmail lack of privacy

atlrus

4:51 am on Aug 15, 2013 (gmt 0)

Figured this would be rather interesting news for those using Gmail or any other Google services:

In a stunning admission contained in a brief filed recently in federal court, lawyers for Google said people should not expect privacy when they send messages to a Gmail account.

‘a person has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information he voluntarily turns over to third parties.’

Source: [consumerwatchdog.org...]

How in-your-face evil can these guys get?!?

BeeDeeDubbleU

8:03 am on Aug 18, 2013 (gmt 0)

I think they are entirely right, and I have not seen a single argument from those who disagree that actually replies to my argument.

Several people who disagree with you have replied to your argument. I am afraid that the fact that you still disagree with them does not necessarily make you right.

This is all a matter of opinion and my opinion is that Google unethically uses people's failure to make themselves familiar with their full TOS to boost their bottom line. They do this not only with gmail but just about all their other "free" services.

graeme_p

8:14 am on Aug 18, 2013 (gmt 0)

I do not see any replies, but not attempts to rebut my points. I do not see answers to questions such as

1) Is Google's spam filtering inethical?
2) What do you think Google should do about it?
3) Where is the invasion of privacy in processing mail on the servers you sent the mail to?

@Samizdata, no, NSA swooping is known, but it is not reasonable. The difference is that the NSA do not have the consent of either the sender or the recipient. NSA snooping IS like the postal service opening an envelope.

BeeDeeDubbleU

8:17 am on Aug 18, 2013 (gmt 0)

I think we have done this to death now.

Samizdata

12:23 pm on Aug 18, 2013 (gmt 0)

NSA swooping is known, but it is not reasonable

The argument that you and Google make is that consent is implied by sending an email.

"Well, your honour, she didn't say no, so she must have meant yes".

Ethics is a flat area to the east of London.

...

seoskunk

9:25 pm on Aug 19, 2013 (gmt 0)

Nothing on the internet is secure, since all email is routed through servers in US I doubt special interest is taken with gmail.

ken_b

9:38 pm on Aug 19, 2013 (gmt 0)

Gmail isn't private? Why would we think gmail, or "anything Google" was?

Thinking back on G and the NSA I just did a Google search for "google parks planes at NSA".

I can hear it now "Sure we sleep together, but there's NOOOOOO pillow talk!", sure glad I didn't put that in an email! LOL :)

Oh wait, this is the internet..... probably too late now :)

.

BeeDeeDubbleU

7:28 am on Aug 20, 2013 (gmt 0)

And that's what's wrong with Google and the Internet. Most people who know what is happening regarding privacy happily accept it and the others are unaware of what is happening. Google doesn't care.

[theregister.co.uk...]

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