Volume II

Issue : 10: May 13, 2004

• Canada Issues Privacy Investigative Body Regulations
• Privacy Groups Continue Criticism of Googles Gmail
• Lawyers Not Subject to U.S. Privacy Legislation
• Pharmaceutical Companies Get Tough on Internet Pharmacies While U.S. Official Starts Supporting Drug Imports
• Canadian Internet Pharmacy Founder Fighting to Clear his Name
• U.S. Grants Patent for Method to Plant Decoys in P2P Networks to Thwart File Sharing
• Canadian Government Introduces Anti Spam Action Plan

Home > Volume II > Issue 10: May 13, 2004 > Privacy Groups Continue Criticism of Googles Gmail

Privacy Groups Continue Criticism of Googles Gmail

In an open letter to Google, 31 groups, including the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, criticized plans for the service, which is currently in use for testing purposes. The Gmail service offers users significantly more memory than other email services. However, in order to pay for the additional space, Google plans to target users based on scans of their outgoing and incoming messages. Although users will consent to terms of use for the service, Google will also be reading incoming email, thereby potentially violating the privacy of users' who have not consented. The practice has been criticized for violating international law, as well as potentially violating the California Civil Code, which governs eavesdropping on confidential communications. It has been further argued that the practice sets a poor precedent, which may lower expectations of privacy in the email medium.

For additional information, visit:

http://www.reuters.co.uk/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=5051616

For a copy of the letter to Google, visit:

http://www.worldprivacyforum.org

For a copy of the letter from EPIC re California law, visit:

http://www.epic.org/privacy/gmail/agltr5.3.04.html