In case you were hoping third party email systems like Gmail were safe, in light of encrypted services being shut down by the government, you will be much maligned to know they are not. In fact, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) themselves admit that their service isn’t private and no one should expect it to be.
In response to a recent class action suit regarding privacy filed against it in California, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and its lawyers filed a brief with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California to have the suit dismissed. Google’s basic claims are that it is doing nothing illegal by reviewing users’ emails and in fact is doing its best to conform to the laws, and that is probably so. However, this quote sums up the topic and drives home the idea that privacy in today’s technological world is nearly a myth.
“Just as a sender of a letter to a business colleague cannot be surprised that the recipient’s assistant opens the letter, people who use Web-based email today cannot be surprised if their emails are processed by the recipient’s [email provider] in the course of delivery,” the motion reads in part. “Indeed, ‘a person has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information he voluntarily turns over to third parties.’”
The entirety of Google’s motion can be found below:
Via: floatingpath.com
