That's right, and as a consequence of failing to note this important difference, the article also misses the point about US v Europe email security. A US person

That's right, and as a consequence of failing to note this important difference, the article also misses the point about US v Europe email security. A US person has some (limited) protection against blanket surveillance by US agencies whereas a European person is considered fair game for them. Where your email is more secure depends entirely on where you live and what threat you're trying to protect against. As a Chinese political activist I would feel safest with Google. As someone with friends and family in the Middle East I would try to route my email around the US if at all possible.