Wednesday, April 14, 2004

Calif. lawmaker moves to block Google's Gmail

"We think it's an absolute invasion of privacy. It's like having a massive billboard in the middle of your home," Sen. Liz Figueroa, a Democrat from Fremont, California, told Reuters in a telephone interview.
  1. Maybe I just don't get it. I don't see how this is different from any free service that has ads, such as blogspot, other web-based email apps, etc., and
  2. So if you don't like it... don't sign up for it. Its free and you aren't being forced to use it. Govn't stepping in to protect us from ourselves. Sigh
Actually, it could be the searching, more than the placement of ads, that they object to. If so, I understand that could be seen as an invasion of privacy, but is also how they are able to provide the functionality that they provide. (grouping like messages, etc.). It is also how blogspot puts "content based ads" on blog sites. I have no problem with that. Of course, that is why I'd have multiple email addresses. I could never do work stuff across gmail. But I'd know that up front and just wouldn't do it.

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