Google Says That Users of Its Email Service Have No Expectation of Privacy

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Google for violating the privacy of its clients' emails and giving the contents of them to third party companies and the government. Google's defense against the lawsuit is that there should be no expectation of privacy because a third party, Google, is involved in the process via which an email is sent from one party to another. Take into consideration that Lavabit, a company that provided an email service, recently decided to terminate its email service rather than be forced by law to reveal the contents of its clients' emails to the government. What do you think of this? Will this affect your decision to continue using Gmail, assuming that you do?

The Millenial generation never knew of privacy and articles such as this should not be surprising. Anyways, I use Hotmail. Gmail is too agressive.

They have a point. Where Google is involved, there should be absolutely no reasonable expectation that your privacy is respected.

They have a point. Where Google is involved, there should be absolutely no reasonable expectation that your privacy is respected.

balfe1990

That's analogous to having no expectation of privacy when mailing a physical letter through USPS, or a package via UPS or FEDEX. None of these companies open their clients' mail or packages.

The Millenial generation never knew of privacy and articles such as this should not be surprising. Anyways, I use Hotmail. Gmail is too agressive.

EagleEyedOne

[QUOTE="balfe1990"]

They have a point. Where Google is involved, there should be absolutely no reasonable expectation that your privacy is respected.

BluRayHiDef

That's analogous to having no expectation of privacy when mailing a physical letter through USPS, or a package via UPS or FEDEX. None of these companies open their clients' mail or packages.

[QUOTE="EagleEyedOne"]

The Millenial generation never knew of privacy and articles such as this should not be surprising. Anyways, I use Hotmail. Gmail is too agressive.

BluRayHiDef

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

[QUOTE="balfe1990"]

They have a point. Where Google is involved, there should be absolutely no reasonable expectation that your privacy is respected.

mrmusicman247

That's analogous to having no expectation of privacy when mailing a physical letter through USPS, or a package via UPS or FEDEX. None of these companies open their clients' mail or packages.

Well, that day needs to pass.

[QUOTE="balfe1990"]

They have a point. Where Google is involved, there should be absolutely no reasonable expectation that your privacy is respected.

BluRayHiDef

That's analogous to having no expectation of privacy when mailing a physical letter through USPS, or a package via UPS or FEDEX. None of these companies open their clients' mail or packages.

Hence why i said "where Google is involved". They don't play by the rules and should be looked upon with a degree of suspicion. I'm no tin-foil hatter, but Google does not have your best interests at heart, despite the laissez faire work ethic and colourful public image. This would obviously extend to mining your emails for data so they can pump your inbox full of targeted ads.

Have you ever seen your Google dashboard? Terrifying, they have an entire profile of you, where you live, what you like, where you've been etc.

News like this shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who's used a computer for more than five minutes.

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

[QUOTE="balfe1990"]

They have a point. Where Google is involved, there should be absolutely no reasonable expectation that your privacy is respected.

balfe1990

That's analogous to having no expectation of privacy when mailing a physical letter through USPS, or a package via UPS or FEDEX. None of these companies open their clients' mail or packages.

Hence why i said "where Google is involved". They don't play by the rules and should be looked upon with a degree of suspicion. I'm no tin-foil hatter, but Google does not have your best interests at heart, despite the laissez faire work ethic and colourful public image. This would obviously extend to mining your emails for data so they can pump your inbox full of targeted ads.

Have you ever seen your Google dashboard? Terrifying, they have an entire profile of you, where you live, what you like, where you've been etc.

News like this shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who's used a computer for more than five minutes.

[QUOTE="balfe1990"]

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

 

That's analogous to having no expectation of privacy when mailing a physical letter through USPS, or a package via UPS or FEDEX. None of these companies open their clients' mail or packages.

BluRayHiDef

Hence why i said "where Google is involved". They don't play by the rules and should be looked upon with a degree of suspicion. I'm no tin-foil hatter, but Google does not have your best interests at heart, despite the laissez faire work ethic and colourful public image. This would obviously extend to mining your emails for data so they can pump your inbox full of targeted ads.

Have you ever seen your Google dashboard? Terrifying, they have an entire profile of you, where you live, what you like, where you've been etc.

News like this shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who's used a computer for more than five minutes.

Well you're one of the lucky ones I suspect. You could clone another balfe with all the info they have on me, it's a little disconcerting.

Man, I'm really getting tire of this shit. Master_Live

[QUOTE="Master_Live"]Man, I'm really getting tire of this shit. BluRayHiDef

[QUOTE="Master_Live"]Man, I'm really getting tire of this shit. BluRayHiDef

How do you guys feel about Google voice (phone and text service)? Is there any expectation in regard to that service, in your opinion?

Google is pretty shitty with this stuff, yeah. They're obsessed with wanting me to use my full name on my YouTube account. They can fvck right off with that shit.

[QUOTE="balfe1990"]

They have a point. Where Google is involved, there should be absolutely no reasonable expectation that your privacy is respected.

BluRayHiDef

That's analogous to having no expectation of privacy when mailing a physical letter through USPS, or a package via UPS or FEDEX. None of these companies open their clients' mail or packages.

I think you misunderstood what the person you quoted meant. He was referring specifically to Google, as they have a reputation for this sort of thing. He didn't mean that you should never expect privacy when using an email service. 

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

[QUOTE="balfe1990"]

They have a point. Where Google is involved, there should be absolutely no reasonable expectation that your privacy is respected.

UnchartedZone

That's analogous to having no expectation of privacy when mailing a physical letter through USPS, or a package via UPS or FEDEX. None of these companies open their clients' mail or packages.

I think you misunderstood what the person you quoted meant. He was referring specifically to Google, as they have a reputation for this sort of thing. He didn't mean that you should never expect privacy when using an email service. 

You know what's crazy? All email providers are required by law to reveal the contents of their clients' emails to the government. Google "Lavibit shuts down email service."

people voluntarily use all these services for free and yet demand total privacy while using them.... you have a choice you know

i thought we already knew this.  Isn't it in that TOU you agree to but never read