Google: Cloud users have 'no legitimate expectation of privacy'

[Gary]

"Indeed, 'a person has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information he voluntarily turns over to third parties.'"

Thats nice... 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/08/14/google_cloud_users_have_no_legitimate_expectation_of_privacy/

[Steve]

I've always thought that there's a certain 'laxness' with regard electronic communication, it's almost as if we lobotomise ourselves and then  send emails/sms etc to all and sundry and copy to the rest of the world. In contrast the handwritten or typed communication intended for paper always seems to be more thought out, almost as if we expect someone other than the recipient at some time to read it.  We have to realise that electronic communication is not private and indeed will come back to bite you sometimes just like the piece of paper.

[Gary]

I do agree, Steve. I suppose there was a notion that with personal letters only the person it was adressed to would read it. In fact this became etiquette, no one would open it, it was after all truly personal. I think this was taken over to electronic communications and in the beginning may have been truly expected.

Times have changed, and maybe the personal letter is a better way of sending delicate or private communication once more, if addressed to a singular person at their home, only that person will open it, and oddly that still holds for most people I would imagine. Maybe we will see communication go full circle in the end because pen and paper is viewed as more trustworthy in the eye of the writer, although it can still be interfered with en route of course. 

[Tacitus]

I think this highlights the stupidity of lot of what's going on.  Terrorists may be mad, but they aren't daft; they are well aware that electronic communication is monitored.  Even encryption is no guarantee of privacy.

http://www.salon.com/2013/06/21/how_to_get_the_nsas_attention/

So what will happen?  It be either using the dead letter drops beloved of spook fiction or, the really old fashioned way common in Victorian times.  Give a boy a message with a £5 note.  Tell him to deliver this to Mr Terrorist in the Pig and Whistle and he will give you another £5.  Probably a mixture of both and virtually undetectable.

[Technical Ben]

I've always thought that there's a certain 'laxness' with regard electronic communication, it's almost as if we lobotomise ourselves and then  send emails/sms etc to all and sundry and copy to the rest of the world. In contrast the handwritten or typed communication intended for paper always seems to be more thought out, almost as if we expect someone other than the recipient at some time to read it.  We have to realise that electronic communication is not private and indeed will come back to bite you sometimes just like the piece of paper.

While true, it was taken as off form for the post office to open and read letters. If it's now lawful (digital/paper has no legal difference AFAIK) to read peoples mail, I'm going to get a job at the post office pronto!   

[mervl]

Don't know. I suppose I was a relative latecomer to the internet at the end of  1997, but my first ISP supplied me with a list of net-etiquette when I first joined them. I lost it subsequently - it shows - but I do remember that two bits of it were that using the net to send anything should be treated like a postcard, readable by anyone; and that as much care should be put into an electronic communication as with a letter. You never know where either will end up. I always flinch at the word "privacy", it so often seems to me to have more to do with the mentality of the person than the evils of the rest of the world. If something goes wrong then yes it should be put right; but if you never want to risk anything going wrong then the answer is simple, just never do anything.

[zappaDPJ]

While true, it was taken as off form for the post office to open and read letters. If it's now lawful (digital/paper has no legal difference AFAIK) to read peoples mail, I'm going to get a job at the post office pronto!   

It's still against the law to open mail that is intended for someone else and it is also against the law for an employee of Royal Mail to open or tamper with items of post.

[Technical Ben]

So a gap in the market? Net by post?

[zappaDPJ]

So a gap in the market? Net by post?

Don't they already get that in rural areas?