foggy
Valued Member
Hi,
I thought I'd ask whether a Gmail user should be concerned about the whole privacy/terms situation. I'm not talking so much about the scanning of mails by computers for ad purposes, nor about their vague, "whenever we get around to it, we'll delete it" data-retention policy. Rather, I'm thinking of their terms, specifically:
I don't know of any other email company that retains the right to take content that users have "submitted," "posted," or "displayed" (slippery terminology that could apply to email transmission ) and publicly display, perform, distribute it !! Imagine if the Postal Service said, "Any postcard you send in the mail may be yours, but by using our service you grant us permission to take any of its content and use it for our own purposes, including displaying it for the world to see, if we wish.
Now, I used to have a Google Apps account (and my mom has a Gmail account that I set up for her). I'm not a "Gmail is evil" conspiracy theorist. I'm just curious about where we should place Gmail on the fear continuum. Should we be paranoid about just what such a megacompany can/would/will do with all the information we're handing them in our emails (and in the emails people send to Gmail users !), or is Gmail (as some have said) really no different than any other provider in this regard ?
Thanks !
I thought I'd ask whether a Gmail user should be concerned about the whole privacy/terms situation. I'm not talking so much about the scanning of mails by computers for ad purposes, nor about their vague, "whenever we get around to it, we'll delete it" data-retention policy. Rather, I'm thinking of their terms, specifically:
located here.[SIZE=-1]11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.[/SIZE]
I don't know of any other email company that retains the right to take content that users have "submitted," "posted," or "displayed" (slippery terminology that could apply to email transmission ) and publicly display, perform, distribute it !! Imagine if the Postal Service said, "Any postcard you send in the mail may be yours, but by using our service you grant us permission to take any of its content and use it for our own purposes, including displaying it for the world to see, if we wish.
Now, I used to have a Google Apps account (and my mom has a Gmail account that I set up for her). I'm not a "Gmail is evil" conspiracy theorist. I'm just curious about where we should place Gmail on the fear continuum. Should we be paranoid about just what such a megacompany can/would/will do with all the information we're handing them in our emails (and in the emails people send to Gmail users !), or is Gmail (as some have said) really no different than any other provider in this regard ?
Thanks !