Google: No legitimate expectation of privacy w/ Gmail

[GA Russell]

Google has filed a brief in court that says that sending an email to a gmail account waives any expectation of privacy.

http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/GOOGLE-If-You-Use-Gmail-You-Have-No-Legitimate-4730587.php

[erwbol]

I should probably quit Google, but I don't feel like using the e-mail address given to me by my internet provider either. Their service is too erratic and I might have to switch providers if only the competition was any better.

[ejp626]

There is no question it is a hassle switching email when I switch providers, which I do every 2 or 3 years.* But I decided a few years back that I simply didn't want the folks at Google browsing through my email, which they admitted back then though they generally aren't too open about it. I may be mistaken, but I think literally the only thing I use my Google account for is to anchor my blog.

* There is one upside is that I get far less spam than people I know with long-standing Google accounts.

[erwbol]

There was the now closed Lavabit which Edward Snowden used (BBC).

Lavabit

"This experience has taught me one very important lesson: without congressional action or a strong judicial precedent, I would _strongly_ recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States." - Ladar Levison

[lipi]

Did you guys actually *read* the brief? The line you are up in arms about is a direct quotation from a supreme court opinion in Smith v. Maryland. You may not like it (I don't!), but it's nothing specific to Google, to email, or to the internet.

See here for a more nuanced view:

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

The bottom line, as in all these cases, is that if you don't want non-recipients reading your mail you must use PGP.

[Jazzmoose]

This is old news. How do you think they tailor the ads to you?

[Blue Train]

I don't mean this to be taken the wrong way....but very few people above a certain age don't realize just how easy and you don't even need NSA/CIA capabilities....just how easy....there is a reason the NSA/CIA hires hackers to do all the illegal things, or help them prevent the illegal things from other countries. Also, a reason the hackers join the NSA/CIA to legally do what is illegal and have the billions backing them....and they can't be arrested.....well accept if they actually mention the illegal things they're doing.

Edited August 15, 2013 by Blue Train

[erwbol]

Search and browsing (Chrome) history? The contents of email should be off limits in my opinion.

(Adblock Plus is your friend here.)

[Blue Train]

Never see an ad from them or FB. Yet, I know how to prevent them knowing anything.

This is old news. How do you think they tailor the ads to you?

Edited August 15, 2013 by Blue Train

[Blue Train]

Speaking of Google/Chrome. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/13/chrome-google

[BeBop]

What's the name of the Google feature that lets you see Google's profile of you, built by its algorithm? I've forgotten. It's been out there a while...like well over a year.

I'm a 12 year old girl who likes Powder Puff Girls and crochet, or some such thing.

[BeBop]

Found it! Google's compiled assumptions about me are in something called Ads Preferences. It's decided I am interested in jazz, hotels, Japanese cuisine (?), travel and a few other not too far off-the-mark topics. A little scary.