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They would be facing hefty lawsuits if they did that.

ForHackernews 12y ago
Are you a lawyer? Their terms of service[0] and privacy policy[1] appear to give them pretty broad leeway: "When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones." I could easily argue that spying on your email in order to gain advantages in acquisitions or hiring could be justified for "improving [their] Services" or "to develop new ones". [0] https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/ https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/ [1] https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en/us/intl/en/policies/privacy/google_privacy_policy_en.pdf https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en...
- skeletonjelly 12y ago
  T&Cs aren't always legally enforceable though right?
  - ForHackernews 12y ago
    Is there existing law that prevents Google from reading your email? You're willingly transmitting data through their service, and my understanding is that email service providers are not "common carriers" in the manner of the post office or a phone company.
- magicalist 12y ago
  > I could easily argue that spying on your email in order to gain advantages in acquisitions or hiring could be justified for "improving [their] Services" or "to develop new ones". You would lose in front of virtually any judge if you argued that.
  - ForHackernews 12y ago
    Are you a lawyer? I'm not, so I don't know. What part of their T&C (or existing law?) prevents Google from reading your email?

Are you a lawyer? Their terms of service[0] and privacy policy[1] appear to give them pretty broad leeway: "When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones." I could easily argue that spying on your email in order to gain advantages in acquisitions or hiring could be justified for "improving [their] Services" or "to develop new ones". [0] https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/ https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/ [1] https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en/us/intl/en/policies/privacy/google_privacy_policy_en.pdf https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en...

skeletonjelly 12y ago
T&Cs aren't always legally enforceable though right?
- ForHackernews 12y ago
  Is there existing law that prevents Google from reading your email? You're willingly transmitting data through their service, and my understanding is that email service providers are not "common carriers" in the manner of the post office or a phone company.
magicalist 12y ago
> I could easily argue that spying on your email in order to gain advantages in acquisitions or hiring could be justified for "improving [their] Services" or "to develop new ones". You would lose in front of virtually any judge if you argued that.
- ForHackernews 12y ago
  Are you a lawyer? I'm not, so I don't know. What part of their T&C (or existing law?) prevents Google from reading your email?