[LEMONS]


4.22.2004

Figueroa Introduces Legislation to Ban Gmail

It hasn't been reported in the press yet (although I filed a news brief on it for Tech Daily), but California Democratic State Senator Liz Figueroa Introduced S.B 1822 today, the bill "would forbid the review of e-mail content unless Google (or any other e-mail provider) first obtains the consent of all the parties to an e-mail conversation." It also includes exemptions that would allow e-mail providers to continue to scan email for spam and viruses.

My question is: how will this affect corporate email systems, where messages are routinely scanned for objectionable content? Obviously, Company X can't require that everyone sending a message to its empoyees to consent to having their messages scanned. It would seem that this would prohibit companies from scanning employee emails, or cause them to quit providing email service altogether.


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