"Google's Gmail could be blocked": California Senator Figueroa

[emad]

From BBC News:

<snip>
Gmail, the planned free e-mail service from Google, could be facing strong legal opposition in California .

A draft law is being drawn up by local Democratic Senator Liz Figueroa, who calls Gmail "an invasion of privacy".

Google is being asked to rethink the product, which plans to offer 100 times the storage offered by some rivals.

The problem, Ms Figueroa says, is Google's plan to make revenue from users agreeing to their incoming e-mail being scanned for targeted advertising.
<snip>
More:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3621169.stm

[Chico Man]

1. It's not an invasion of privacy if users agree

You won't see me standing in line for this service.

[Renew Deal]

2. I agree with you.

[lightbulb]

4. I also agree - let the market decide

As long as their privacy statement is public and accurate, people should be free to choose whether or not they want to be exploited. There are plenty of existing alternatives.

[enki23]

5. let the market decide my fucking ass

if we "let the market decide" our civil rights, we'd long ago have lost every fucking one of them. and that's exactly what we're doing, making surveillance an everyday, nonsensational event.

[lightbulb]

6. Are you in favor of our trusted politicians denying

informed consumers the right to choose what product they wish to use? If people don't want to be exploited, they will collectively tell Google to go fuck themselves by rejecting their services, and I would honestly hope and love to see this happen.

I think I understand your point, but In a free market politicians should only step in when the public is being misled or denied a fair choice with regard to a certain type of product or service. The Microsoft behemoth is a perfect example.

[enki23]

9. in some cases, yes.

in this case, yes. i'm against people having the right to sell themselves into slavery too, for a more extreme example. i do not recognize the right of humans to people to waive their rights. they can choose not to exercise them, but not waive them. this falls somewhere between the two, and i'm very inclined to say it's a very bad idea.

[northzax]

3. frankly, I have no problem with this

I certainly don't send anything from my free email accounts that would be of service to advertisers, so go ahead.

[Democat]

7. How about fighting the patriot act instead of Google?

Put your privacy fight where it is needed most.

[ixion]

8. exactly

the unPATRIOTic Act should be the first priority, when concern for Right to Privacy is the issue.