Jul 28, 2004 12:23 PM
1917 Views
(Updated Jul 28, 2004 12:23 PM)
I was running through this Security Focus article in ''The Register Newsletter''
and thought ,I would share this info.
Gmail offers you 1GB of Storage Space. Well Take a look at this
''''The Gmail advertising concept is simple. When you log into the Gmail to retrieve and view your email, the service automatically scans the contents of the email and displays a relevant ad on the screen for you to see. Although it has been said that neither Google nor the advertiser ''knows'' the text or essence of the email message, this is not strictly true: if you click on the link to the ad, it can be reasonably inferred that the text of the email in some way related to the advertiser's service.
Moreover, like any email provider, the text of your Gmail is stored and subject to subpoena. I can envision a situation where an advertiser, paying Google hundreds of thousands of dollars, claims that Google failed to ''insert'' its ads in relevant emails, or inserted a competitor's ads instead (or in addition to, or more prominently). In the course of the ensuing litigation, wouldn't both the ads themselves and the text of the messages into which they were inserted be relevant, and therefore discoverable? I can't imagine why not.
If a computer programmed by people learns the contents of a communication, and takes action based on what it learns, it invades privacy.But perhaps the most ominous thing about the proposed Gmail service is the often-heard argument that it poses no privacy risk because only computers are scanning the email. I would argue that it makes no difference to our privacy whether the contents of communications are read by people or by computers programmed by people.
So, if I send a mail to a Gmail user (let's assume I don't know anything about Gmail,
and therefore can't be said to have ''consented'' to the examination) and Google's computers learn the meaning of the message without my consent, this action theoretically violates the basic idea of privacy''''.
Now that you have read this, Think twice before Getting a GMail account either free/invite/paid.
Everything has its pros and cons.Weigh them appropriately and decide
For more info on the Cons of Gmail or complete description of this reference you can check this out
https://theregister.co.uk/2004/06/15/gmail_spook_heaven/
I will take the Gmail account if I get it because of the Kind of Communication I receive, but to send , I will think twice after all who likes if someone scans their messages
