Why I don't believe in gmail, hotmail etc.

I have always shunned this type of email system and advocated paid hosting.

This BBC article, arises from google discovering child porn in a user's email. For that we do have to be thankful. But later in the article we get to the crux of the matter and why I dislike these systems. (My bold):-

Google automatically scans email accounts to provide ads within Gmail, which has more than 400 million users worldwide.

In April, Google updated its terms and conditions to say: Our automated systems analyse your content (including emails) to provide you personally relevant product features, such as customised search results, tailored advertising, and spam and malware detection. This analysis occurs as the content is sent, received, and when it is stored.

This occurred after a class-action lawsuit against the company over email scanning was dismissed earlier this year. At the time, Google said that "a person has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information he voluntarily turns over to third parties".

I don't have a problem with spam and malware detection which doesn't explicitly scan the content for meaning. Decent hosts also provide that but usually with some user control. But what that paragraph also says is my reason for staying clear.

Those T & Cs include other content as well as emails. Google docs etc. No thanks. No doubt much the same applies to other Cloud Storage services. What about confidential business data as well as individual privacy?

I accept that if google were not doing this, the offender would not have been caught. The principle is still wrong. It goes far beyond what the arguments are about governmental snooping and the records that have to be kept for them.

well dedicated hosting is the way to go but sadly people are tight with their wallets. so buy a domain (yours to keep as long as you renew it), then find somewhere to host it, either own server or paid service,. email hosting on a shared server is typically dirt cheap tho. When I say own server I don't mean host at home, although I know some people do that,

in my view tho free web mail services are superior to isp supplied services still.

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

in my view tho free web mail services are superior to isp supplied services still.

For what reasons? In my view POP3 or IMAP access is always superior to webmail.

I would never store anything in the Cloud and only let my emails reside on their servers for as short time as possible. I just don't trust unknown firms to keep it safe and private.

Why do you think the story has appeared. They are hoping that everyone will start to think "oh yes, checking emails keeps children safe ... " and accept it. It is then easy to just slip other surveillance in through a back door - if it is not already there.

+1

In reply to a post by MHC:

- if it is not already there.

It is.........check Snowden's "leaks"

Edited by deleted (Mon 04-Aug-14 17:28:30)

Public acceptance is not there though.

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

When I say own server I don't mean host at home, although I know some people do that,

I do that. It's cheap(*), very secure and extremely reliable

(*)The server apparently consumes less than 10w in typical use, and as little 5w when idle so electricity usage is not a factor.

In reply to a post by MHC:

Public acceptance is not there though.

This debate is very similar to the decades old debate about Identity cards. I have never heard a sound reason against them. If you have nothing to hide what's the problem? In the States anyone who is a citizen, or who has lived there longer than six months, must carry a photo ID, (Driver's Licence), on themselves whenever driving.

In this country we read weekly reports of people, rightfully convicted, of plotting terrorist atrocities. How do you think this information was obtained? It certainly was not PC49 or Dixon of Dock Green patrolling their rounds. It was the vigilance of the NSA and GCHQ scanning the airwaves for such words as Jihad, (Ooops, that probably has GCHQ alarm bells ringing).

I would prefer to remain safe than worry about what anybody could read into my E-Mails - jokes mostly!

Edited by deleted (Mon 04-Aug-14 18:23:53)