Volume VII

Issue : 14: October 8, 2009

• AT and T Accuses Google of Violating Telecommunications Law
• Bank Email Error Results in Disabled Gmail Account
• Judges Question Damages in Microsoft i4i Patent Case
• Successful Appeal for Microsoft in Uniloc Patent Dispute as Bilski Looms
• Music Publisher Sues Apple Over iTunes Downloads
• Ontario Court Grants Norwich Order to Disclose Identity of Defendants
• U.K. Court Approves Injunction Service by Twitter

Home > Volume VII > Issue 14: October 8, 2009 > Bank Email Error Results in Disabled Gmail Account

Bank Email Error Results in Disabled Gmail Account

An email sent by an employee of Wyoming-based Rocky Mountain Bank resulted in a court order disabling a Gmail account. The email, which contained sensitive account information regarding more than 1,300 bank customers, was mistakenly sent to the Gmail account. Once the error was discovered, Google refused to release information regarding the Gmail account holder to the bank without a court order, citing its own privacy policies. Therefore, the bank sought such a court order requiring that Google intervene on its behalf.

The court order was issued, forcing Google to disable the Gmail account and cooperate with the bank. Once Google was able to show that the email had never been opened and that it had been deleted from the account, the account was re-enabled. However, some question the privacy implications of such a court order requiring that an email account be disabled and information removed without the consent of the owner.

For additional information, visit:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10363663-245.html