Is Google Scanning Your Emails Really a Privacy Concern?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the privacy implications of Google scanning emails for advertising purposes. Participants explore the legality and ethical considerations of this practice, as well as personal attitudes towards email privacy and data usage.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant argues that if users agree to terms of service, it should not be illegal for Google to scan emails for ads, questioning the sacredness of email privacy.
  • Another participant emphasizes that the scanning process is similar to how ads are displayed on forums, suggesting that there is no significant difference between emails and private messages.
  • Some participants express confusion about how emails could become ads, with one noting that emails only become ads when shared in a mocking context.
  • There are suggestions that using PDF files or zipping emails could prevent Google from reading their contents, indicating a belief that certain formats may offer more privacy.
  • Several participants express a lack of concern regarding Google's scanning of emails, questioning the significance of the issue.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit a range of opinions, with some agreeing that the scanning is not a major concern, while others express confusion or differing views on the implications of email scanning and privacy.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not reach a consensus on the legality or ethicality of Google's practices, and there are varying assumptions about the nature of email ownership and privacy.

aychamo
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So.. According to this link:

http://www.ircspy.com/comments.asp?mode=view&id=1216

The senator says it should be illegal for Google to scan the contents of email for advertising, even if you agree to it by aggreeing to a terms of service. I disagree. If you know Google will scan your email and put in ads, but do nothing else with your emails contents, why should this be illegal?

Let's be honest. It's *just* e-mail. Why is it so sacred? Looking at it, if I email you at Google's gmail, is that e-mail really yours? Hell, is it mine? If I send an e-mail to your address at google's computer, I created the e-mail, so I kinda "own" it, and I gave it to google. But I did give it to google to "hold" for you. It's almost like an employee having a desk drawer that they keeped locked, preventing access from the boss.

I just really don't have a problem with this. It seems like google would just scan the text of the e-mails and use whatever algorithm they have to rank the words and find the most suitible advertiser (that I would probably never click on.) I'm sure it works just the same as the Google ads on these pages. Hell, if it makes Google money, and I get a free, 100% reliable 1gig of email storage that I can most likely use *for the rest of my life* I will gladly let them make money off of my emails. AS LONG: as they don't ever draw a connection between key words and usernames. That is wrong. And they honestly shouldn't take any personal information. I don't see why they'd need *any* information from you beyond your username and password. Would recording your IPs be invading privacy?

BY THE WAY, something you may all find interesting is that the Google Ads on this forum display when you are *reading your private messages!* That is the exact same thing that will happen when Google scans your email for ads. It's not a big deal. I don't see a difference between an e-mail and a private intraforum message.
 
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aychamo said:
BY THE WAY, something you may all find interesting is that the Google Ads on this forum display when you are *reading your private messages!* That is the exact same thing that will happen when Google scans your email for ads. It's not a big deal. I don't see a difference between an e-mail and a private intraforum message.

:) Just wanted to emphasize this.
 
umm? how? ur e message become ads?
 
expscv said:
umm? how? ur e message become ads?
It only becomes ad when someone actually sent it out to make fun of others.

I sent Mr A some emails, Mr A sent to some of his friends and they laughed.
Thats fun ?
I thinkit is fun.
 
Fun of the cruel !
 
Sigh ... ...
 
If you don't want google reading through your email, just send pdf files. Google can only "read" plain text.
 
Yeah, I'm saying that I'm not even concerned about it. I don't see what the big deal is.
 
pdf ? god

hoho i don't mind le, my life should as simple as it can be

wait how about I zip it?
 

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