Google beta ditches gmail.com

TalkBack 5 of 11:

Next »

« Previous

• Thread View
• Flat View

What They Can Do...

...doesn't seem all that different from what any other e-mail service does. If anything, Google seems more upfront with their practices than Microsoft is. Check out Hotmail and try to wade through the privacy information. The initial page they point you to isn't even the full agreement, but the "highlights", and there's nothing in there (that I can see, anyway) as to how long the e-mail stays on their servers. There's also a statement in their privacy policy that they will cooperate with law enforcement, which is no different than Google does. (Actually, it might be less than Google does, since we know Google fights subpoenas.) Hotmail also puts Web beacons in your e-mails to track what you click on and where you go.

Look, inevitably, when you sign up for Web email, you give up some security for the convenience of having a Web mail account. That should (although, with the quality of people online nowadays, I know it doesn't) go without saying. If someone's going to be moronic enough to e-mail their drug dealer, or e-mail someone about killing (or cheating on) their wife, or planning a terrorist attack, I'm not sure why anyone should care that they get caught. Google as a search engine is a little different, since you're not talking there about information that explicitly needs to be kept, but the bottom line is, when you go out on the Internet, you leave tracks, and the companies you deal with are within their rights to keep records of your usage. Would I be upset if my Web searches were for sale to the highest bidder (or even just to anyone that wanted them)? Probably, although I think somoene would need to have a pretty boring life to be into that sort of thing. But law enforcement using the information is an entirely different matter. When you're out on the Internet it's a public space. You might want all the privacy you have when you're sitting at home in your living room, but it's not reasonable to expect it.

Posted by: bhartman36   Posted on: 02/13/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Five Steps to Determine When to Virtualize YourServers VMware Server virtualization isn't just for big companies. Entry-level ... Download Now
• The True Costs of Virtual Server Solutions VMware In an economic environment that is repeatedly heralding the message "do ... Download Now
• File System Auditor Version 2.0.8 ScriptLogic File System Auditor? allows administrators to audit file access, generate ... Download Now