>If you understand how SMTP works, it's hard to argue that it's a private means of communication. Wrong. The users' providers can see the message, but they wil

>If you understand how SMTP works, it's hard to argue that it's a private means of communication. Wrong. The users' providers can see the message, but they will only pass it to the next link in the chain to the recipient. That doesn't mean it's okay or expected that it'll be shared with anyone else. Handing off your voice calls to AT&T does not eliminate the expectation or privacy, nor does handing off your letters to USPS. Both of these services will move your information around internally, and AT&T will route your voice call to a Verizon switch if necessary. This still does not negate the expectation of privacy. Why should email be different?