Google argues that users of its free email service Gmail can't legitimately expect privacy. Even more worrying is the fact that this also applies to anyone who emails someone else who uses Gmail, even if the sender doesn't. This basically means Google believes it is okay to read and analyze the content of your private emails (sent or received by a Gmail user) so it can better target you with advertising.At least this is what Google is putting forward in a brief that was filed in a federal court as part of a lawsuit against Google. Google is accused of breaking federal and state laws by scanning the emails of Gmail users and in its defence has put forward this statement (which was recently exposed by Consumer Watchdog):
Just as a sender of a letter to a business colleague cannot be surprised that the recipient's assistant opens the letter, people who use web-based email today cannot be surprised if their communications are processed by the recipient's ECS provider in the course of delivery. Indeed, 'a person has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information he voluntarily turns over to third parties.' Smith v. Maryland, 442 U.S. 735, 743-44 (1979)."
