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Welcome to Techsurvivors => Tech => Topic started by: rgray on August 17, 2013, 08:54:49 AM

Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: rgray on August 17, 2013, 08:54:49 AM
Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy, Google claims in a stunning admission

Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on August 17, 2013, 10:56:50 AM
I'm still amazed that anyone thinks there is such a thing as privacy with an UN-encrypted use of the Internet. I suspect many folks don't even realize that "email" uses the net! laughhard.gif but what kind of rock would someone have to live under to think that anything using Google would have any privacy measures! Do people really think they are a 'non-profit' company?!!! wacko.gif "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch!"

Now I'll go read the linked page... wink.gif
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: jchuzi on August 17, 2013, 11:07:13 AM
Google is small potatoes compared to the NSA.  mad.gif
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: kimmer on August 17, 2013, 01:10:21 PM
Who really believed that google didn't read your email? Come on. Raise your hands. Higher, cuz I can't see them.

HAHAHA

To add to the fun:

Google blackout sees global web traffic plunge by 40 per cent
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-23...ge-40-cent.html

So even though we know Google is not always nice, we still rely on them. Humans are funny creatures.
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: rgray on August 17, 2013, 02:54:39 PM
QUOTE(Xhairbrushdiver @ Aug 17 2013, 11:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm still amazed that anyone thinks there is such a thing as privacy with an UN-encrypted use of the Internet. I suspect many folks don't even realize that "email" uses the net! laughhard.gif but what kind of rock would someone have to live under to think that anything using Google would have any privacy measures!

Do people really think they are a 'non-profit' company?!!! wacko.gif

"There ain't no such thing as a free lunch!"



And yet you encourage the use of Chrome - Google's alleged FREE (oh yeah!) browser........  This confuses me??
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: gunug on August 17, 2013, 03:40:55 PM
The were talking about the NYTimes switching from company maintained email to paid corporate Gmail and the reporters are very concerned about Google not maintaining privacy on their accounts and rolling over for their belly to be scratched if the government comes by!
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on August 17, 2013, 08:26:02 PM
QUOTE
And yet you encourage the use of Chrome - Google's alleged FREE (oh yeah!) browser........ This confuses me??
Sorry for any confusion. I am not aware that Google gathers/uses what I do through Chrome the way they do with Gmail.

As I have stated, I think, every single time I have "encouraged" anyone to use it, Chrome sandboxes Flash and updates it automatically thus negating the need to keep Flash junque off your computer and avoid its security problems. I also encourage use of GlimmerBlocker, AdBlock+, Ghostery and DoNotTrackMe extensions. I also have cookies mostly disabled! Hope that makes it clear why I recommend it. But I use those same methods/extensions/plugins/add-ons on any browser I use.

Fortunately, I have no power to force anyone to use Chrome... wink.gif

I assume Omni is still a paid browser, there may be others. But I think the majority of browsers are 'free.' But I suppose their developers would be happy to accept payments? I know the Mozilla team stated as much. yes.gif thanx.gif Other than a few 'news' and stock/investment sites, not many have figured out a way to get people to pay for much of anything provided on the intermess. OTOH, not many email services have harvested user input the way Google has. Your choice. Educate yourself on what you are giving away for what you are getting. Simple, idea, I hope. dntknw.gif

HTH's
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: kimmer on August 17, 2013, 09:11:42 PM
QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Aug 17 2013, 06:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE
And yet you encourage the use of Chrome - Google's alleged FREE (oh yeah!) browser........ This confuses me??
Sorry for any confusion. I am not aware that Google gathers/uses what I do through Chrome the way they do with Gmail.

They do plant cookies and watch where you go; and if you are signed in to your google/gmail acct, they are more invasive. It all depends on how comfortable with what you do, what sites you visit, etc. I don't see how a person can be completely safe, secure, and secret on the web. I use Chrome for the reason xABD states: the way it sandboxes flash content. I also like, and appreciate how Chrome syncs with my droid phone.

BTW, how safe is Safari? Does Apple plant any cookies of their own? How about Mozilla/Firefox? Thunderbird? I dntknw.gif

I figure I'm already on "lists" because ... well that would take us into forbidden topic territory. wink.gif Anyhow, I don't worry about it. Everyone seems to be snooping on everyone else, so unless I want to live in a foil lined room and never come out, security and privacy are just words in the dictionary.

Just my nickels worth.
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: Paddy on August 17, 2013, 09:44:49 PM
Um...nobody at Google is actually reading your email.

Is Google sending your email through automated programs in a hunt for keywords to target you with ads? You bet. But anyone who thinks that Google has human beings actually READING your email is delusional. As of June 2012, Gmail had 425 million active users, more than Hotmail or Yahoo (both of which have occupied the #1 spot in the past). If the average user gets just 5 emails a day (which is probably extremely conservative) then there are over 2 billion emails going through Google's servers per day.

I'm with Jon - I'm far more concerned about the likes of the NSA poking around in people's email under the guise of "national security". They're not just trying to sell me something... dry.gif
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on August 17, 2013, 09:54:28 PM
Cookies are not created for the browser, rather the site being visited stores info about various things, almost anything about the page, including what page/site you came from. Depending on what that info is, it could determine what you see next time you visit. Sometimes that info is simply your log in info, often it's more personal. There are many ways to help control those things, many extensions, for example. But another, simpler way is to simply create your own, local, home page on your own disk. Have it open whenever you want a new tab and then access the site you want. And go to that home page when you leave a site. Either way, a site that records where you came from and/or where you went to won't have any useable info. Anyone with a plain text editor can create a home page and even add links (with or without icons/graphics) and point your browser to it. smile.gif
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: rgray on August 18, 2013, 04:34:49 AM
QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Aug 17 2013, 09:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Sorry for any confusion. I am not aware that Google gathers/uses what I do through Chrome the way they do with Gmail.


IMHO it seems somewhat naive to expect that they DO NOT.......    Seems something of a given to me.
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on August 18, 2013, 09:51:10 AM
Sorry for being naive but the key difference is that I have controls on most browsers that prevent most JavaScript from running. I also use my own, local, file-based home page to prevent any site/server from gathering info about where I came from or go from their site. I block all ads with certain exceptions through Ghostery, AdBlock and anti-tracking extensions. Of course, Flash can still run in Chrome's sandbox and I'm sure it is also used to gather info as well as display mostly useless animations. These are simple and apparently effective methods that prevent unwanted ads and SPAM. Some browsers have duplicates of these extensions, some don't. I find Chrome operates fine and I also ocassionly use Safari. I will continue to recommend any app that I find useful and usually provide a reason I like it. If others don't like my opinions they are certainly under no obligation to listen or use them. Enjoy whatever you use and know how to use other tools to help monitor/control what they do. Hope that helps explain why I do this one thing. I don't see any reason to totally ban anything Google does but that is certainly an option.

At the risk of crossing the No Politics rule here, I'll simply repeat a sig I have seen on another forum that addresses much of what is really concerning many of us: "Washington, read the Constitution not my email!" Of course, that may not be of much help to our 'friends'... rolleyes.gif

I gotta go... scram.gif
Title: Gmail users or people who email them should NOT expect privacy.
Post by: sandbox on August 20, 2013, 10:47:28 AM
Never has there been web privacy. The laws require that government have access to everything, including your security software. 1Password has a backdoor or a access algorithm, for example. The Information Awareness Office IAO and DARPA have had authority, programs and laws in place to monitor everything real time since electronic communication was invented. All civilians get to see is the surface of the laws never the depth of their authority. It's still difficult to get information on IAO's Genisys project that has been gathering all data for years, including cellphone activity. You can expect privacy from individuals and companies outside the network authority, and anywhere that you have a legitimate expectation of privacy there are laws to protect you, but there is no protection from government or the networks that are bound to abide by the laws like the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which was written for lawyers and commerce, and nothing to the depth of access the IAO holds under national security.
In the late 90's an exception was put in place for medical records called HIPAA. Under this exception, agencies are held responsible for medical records, which explains why the healthcare industry has been so slow in moving towards electronic record keeping.
Now if you talk or write about your health online, you are undermining your own privacy, because there is no expectation of privacy in any public use software application unless specified. If someone captures your data illegally and uses it against you that's covered under HIPAA, but if you just spill the beans, your responsible. HIPAA does not protect you from the IAO, but they can never revealed or used that data against you.

Here in Florida inactive Medical Records are kept for 5 years, then purged. If you want to maintain your records for longer than that you need to keep your own. We store client record for 1 year in paper form and store them on new zeroed out hard-drives in encrypted AES 256 disk images using Disk Utility with no access to the web. Email is printed when needed, purged and data securely stored.

Encrypted email with a digital signature has an expectation of privacy. We use a Entourage Email Client but since Mac OS 10.7 Apple Mail has also had the ability to legitimately secure email, even Gmail which if you read this link will explain how to secure email and effect the Gmail privacy issue.

http://www.maclive.net/sendandreceiveencry...lwithapplemail/