Google: "Gmail users shouldn't expect email privacy"

[drmike]

Google: Gmail users shouldn't expect email privacy

Critics call revelation 'a stunning admission' as Google makes claim in court filing in attempt to head off class action lawsuit.

Full story: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/14/google-gmail-users-privacy-email-lawsuit

The court filing legal brief: http://www.scribd.com/doc/160134104/Google-Motion-to-Dismiss-061313

 

[Zach]

Well I guess it's time to move away then.  Far away.

 

[Slownode]

Ya Google gives full read access to it's databases and archives to the gov so anything Google knows, which is a lot, they know.

 

[stim]

Is it really a surprise?

 

[Aldryic C'boas]

And this is why I've been moving all of my data off of any server which I don't solely administrate.

 

[jarland]

I mean I never really did. I just always thought they cared more about it than they do. It's nice to know the score, that's all.

 

[wdq]

Google's primary source of revenue is selling advertisements. It's not surprising that they aren't all that concerned about privacy. 

 

[notFound]

Well I'm not surprised at all, infact I expect this to happen a few more services people use regularly. We all knew it was going on anyway. Now they're just being open about it.

 

[KuJoe]

Anybody who expects Google (whose main business is in advertising) to be private is naive at best. Seriously, that's as bad as signing up for "free offers" on a random pop-up and expecting your e-mail not to be sold and used for spam.

I commend Google for being honest, it's a rare trait in large corporations these days.

No person should ever assume any privacy on the internet without taking an active role in creating and maintaining that privacy. The internet by nature is an open, public form of communication and it is up to the user to create their own privacy. Placing blame on any company or person other than oneself for lack of privacy is just ignorant. At the very least, reviewing privacy policies should be done prior to signing up or using any service online.

 

[sleddog]

Umm, which part of this is news? I though it was common knowledge.

 

[clarity]

It also appears that people are taking this completely out of context.


http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/14/4621474/yes-gmail-users-have-an-expectation-of-privacy


The whole section quoted was referring to 3rd parties sending email to GMail accounts.

 

[concerto49]

Not like Vole is better with Outlook.

 

[Steve]

It also appears that people are taking this completely out of context.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/14/4621474/yes-gmail-users-have-an-expectation-of-privacy


The whole section quoted was referring to 3rd parties sending email to GMail accounts.

What! Get your facts, reality and logic out of here!

 

[perennate]

It also appears that people are taking this completely out of context.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/14/4621474/yes-gmail-users-have-an-expectation-of-privacy


The whole section quoted was referring to 3rd parties sending email to GMail accounts.

So? Google still sucks!

 

[Wintereise]

What's with all this circlejerking? I mean come on, how is this a surprise?

(And I'm aware of the Context)

If you don't like it, set up your own mail and use that -- pretty simple.

 

[rm_]

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/14/google-gmail-users-privacy-email-lawsuit

Simpson, a long-term Google critic, said: "Google's brief uses a wrong-headed analogy; sending an email is like giving a letter to the Post Office. I expect the Post Office to deliver the letter based on the address written on the envelope. I don't expect the mail carrier to open my letter and read it.

 

[drmike]

I commend Google for being honest, it's a rare trait in large corporations these days.

Google isn't being honest.  

Google is cornered in a pending class action lawsuit that appears to have them forced to disclose their bad behavior.

I haven't read the brief yet (lack of time right now).

Remember a year or three ago when Google created this big PR site 'Which country subpoenas' info from Google site?  --- along with vague nature of the requests from governments.   They didn't anywhere in there say they pipe to / have built in taps for NSA and other intelligence agencies... Now did they?  Nopers.  We know better now.

Google is the worlds greatest deceiver.  Before the dust settles, folks will see, they are just black ops military industrial complex.  DARPA 2.0.  Government couldn't direct tap and trace everyone, some of us already fought that in the early to mid 1990s.  So government control freaks funneled money and deals to "private" coprorations that do way more tracking and tracing than gov ever could dream of.

Do we not remember a Google VP being involved in insurrection and overthrow in Egypt?  That's exactly what the CIA engages in.  DARPA or CIA, there isn't any real difference.   Same general deception, lack of accountability and filthy misdeeds.  

Face it, Google has been ogling

 

[wlanboy]

And this is why I've been moving all of my data off of any server which I don't solely administrate.

Me too. Every service provided for free has some drawbacks.

Google's primary source of revenue is selling advertisements. It's not surprising that they aren't all that concerned about privacy. 

Yup - personalized ads.

Anybody who expects Google (whose main business is in advertising) to be private is naive at best. Seriously, that's as bad as signing up for "free offers" on a random pop-up and expecting your e-mail not to be sold and used for spam.

I commend Google for being honest, it's a rare trait in large corporations these days.

Simply true. I don't understand the hysteria about this. Looks like a lot of people just started to think about how a free service with million of users can be privately financed.

Our current generation did not have to fight for anything. Just collecting the fruits of the last generation's work.

Because we do not care we are loosing a lot of rights. In this case our privacy to save one buck a month.

But we can talk about elections too. Anybody doing work for a political party? Or at least go to the polls/elections?

 

[concerto49]

Maybe stop using google search, blogspot, android phones etc too? same result.

 

[rm_]

Maybe stop using google search, blogspot, android phones etc too? same result.

Not sure what's your point here, but privacy-conscious people *are* indeed migrating away from Google services in general.