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E-mail snooping ruled permissible

Discussion in 'Alley of Dangerous Angles' started by chevalier, Jul 2, 2004.

  1. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    Remove all ads!
    http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,64043,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_7

    The owner of a book-selling website opened e-mail accounts on that site for his customers. However, he adjusted the software to pass all business e-mail correspondence from Amazon to him.

    He was charged with the Wiretap Act, an old law from before e-mail was introduced. The judges concluded that the messages were not in transit but rather in storage and thus Councilman (the guy) didn't violate the Act. the court's decision: http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/03-1383-01A.pdf.

    One judge, Kermit V. Lipez, however, stressed that the Congress never specifically intended temporarily stroed e-mail to be less secure than e-mail in transit.

    IMHO, the specifics of e-mail dictate that it needs to be stored temporarily in the memory and such storage still belongs in transit. E-mails that are really stored are analogous to letters stored in a locked chest (passworded mailbox in this case).

    In certain countries there are plans of making laws requiring e-mail providers to store messages or otherwise securing means of accessing them, for instance, for government agencies.

    Another problem is, one guy was caught. But how many do the same and haven't been exposed?
     
    chevalier, Jul 2, 2004
    #1
  2. Aldeth the Foppish Idiot

    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Veteran

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    While this isn't exactly the same thing, it is considered legal for employers to view your private e-mails if you are using a company computer at work. Granted, this isn't the same thing as what happened here where he was getting personal business information from his patrons, but it is a similar thought. It is clear that the right to privacy is not absolute.

    For work related e-mail, I'm sure it's used to make sure people at work are actually working, and not spending all day on e-mail. Also, things like pornagraphy aren't allowed in the work place, and the ability to access an employee's computer decreases the possibility of that happening too.
     
    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot, Jul 2, 2004
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