Advocate's Gmail Arguments Largely Unfounded

The privacy debate continues to swell over Google's recently announced Gmail service, which offers enormous amounts of storage in exchange for the ability to scan incoming emails and place ads based on keywords there.

told ClickZ, "the fact that it's machines [scanning emails] is irrelevant. Machines are more efficient than humans and far more able to be privacy invasive than humans because they can read so much more." Her statement counters the common opinion that because there are no humans actually reading the emails that there is no violation of privacy. Further, she thinks that because machines are more efficient at reading emails that the potential for violation is much greater. However, isps already scan your email for spam and viruses - the scale of privacy invasion Dixon fears happens daily. The biggest fear privacy advocates have is that Google will be able to link specific keywords with specific users and begin to database their behavior. This San Jose Mercury News article title sums up the fear succinctly, "If Google ogles your e-mail, will Ashcroft be far behind?" Paul Boutin, in his

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