mediajunk

From gmail-is-too-creepy.com (no prizes for guessing what side of the fence these guys are on): Problem 1: Gmail is nearly immortal Google admits that even deleted messages will remain on their system, and may also be accessible internally at Google, for an indefinite period of time. Problem 2: Google's privacy policies do not apply to Gmail They've said that their advertisers won't get personally identifiable information from email, but that doesn't mean that Google won't keep this information for possible future use. Problem 3: A massive potential for abuse If Google builds a database of keywords associated with email addresses, the potential for abuse is staggering. Google could grow a database that spits out the email addresses of those who used those keywords. Problem 4: Inappropriate ad matching A lawyer who is experimenting with Gmail ... sent himself a message, and discovered that the law practice footer he uses at the bottom of all of his email triggered an ad for a competing law firm. As it happens, Problem 1 is already being tackled in Google's home state. DMNews.com reports that the California Senate has approved a bill restricting Google's new e-mail system's data retention practices, although it has left "untouched" Google's "method of scanning messages to display paid listings."