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December 2005

In Google We Trust

Continued from page 2

By Simson Garfinkel
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Far more troubling for me, however, is Gmail's data security story.

Like privacy, security is a much deeper concept than most Internet users realize. Being free from spyware and viruses is important, certainly. But so is data integrity -- retaining data whole, without additions, deletions, or other modifications. While Google provides a ton of storage and great availability, there is no obvious way to back up your e-mail once it has been delivered, read, and archived. This means that you have no choice but to trust Google totally for your data integrity.

But nowhere in Gmail's "Terms of Use" does the company promise that it won't delete some or all of your mail -- now, or in the future. In fact, the termination clause of Gmail's policy gives the company the right to delete any account, for any reason, at any time, with no user recourse.

Gmail could provide a backup system, of course. Google Desktop already downloads mail in the background for offline access, and it would be trivial to let users save that e-mail in archive files on their hard drives, for subsequent burning onto CD-ROMs or DVDs. Perhaps Gmail will do this in the future. But it doesn't do it now.

The mere existence of that huge archive of personal e-mail -- an archive that can neither be backed up nor deleted on demand -- should give users pause. For example, such an archive could become a one-stop-shopping destination for subpoenas in civil litigation and criminal investigations. Gmail's early adopters now have nearly two years' worth of mail archived in the system -- an attractive body of evidence in, say, a nasty divorce proceeding.

The preservation of old messages wasn't previously a concern because earlier online e-mail providers like Hotmail didn't offer their users enough storage. Also, folder-based archives give users a strong incentive to throw most messages away rather than keeping them all. And of course, if you download your e-mail with POP (the post office protocol) and keep it on a hard drive in your living room, you are responsible for the security of your mail -- and you have the option of fighting a subpoena in court rather than turning over your files.

Many of my concerns could be addressed through the clever use of encryption. Mail could be encrypted while stored on Google's servers and only decrypted when it is displayed to Gmail users. This would dramatically reduce the risk of a subpoena: now an attorney fishing for incriminating documents would have to demand not just e-mail but also the user's decryption key. This would give users more opportunities to fight subpoenas -- or perhaps to "lose" their keys.

Whether or not these risks actually matter to you depends on what uses, if any, you make of the Gmail service. But how Google responds to persistent concerns about privacy and data security should matter to everyone who uses the Web. For better or worse, Google remains the hottest Internet company on the planet -- and the example it sets with Gmail will shape the products and policies of hundreds of other companies using Ajax technology to build new Web-based services.

Home page image courtesy of Jason Schneider.

Simson Garfinkel is a postgraduate fellow at Harvard University's Center for Research on Computation and Society.
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Comments

  • Its why I dont use Gmail, or Hotmail or Yahoo
    Guest (Bob Campbell) on 12/29/2005 at 8:08 AM
    Posts:
    1
    I just cant get past having my email stored on someone elses computer. The same with documents, images or any other electronic piece of information. It just goes against my grain, Ive tried them all and each seems to have its own benefits, but I always revert to my ISP desktop based email.
    Despite the hype surrounding the brand new old technology of AJAX, it does nothing to  allay user fears, both corporate and consumer, surrounding security and downtime because of service outages.
    I work for a financial services company. The company has all of web based email services blocked internally. Users simply cannot get to these types of email accounts. And for someone to use our products, they must have a regular email account with their ISP and cannot use a web based email account for verification.
    Rate this comment: 12345
    • ISP Storage
      Guest (John Hammond) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts:
      1
      How does your ISP get your mail to you if it is not stored on the ISP server?
      Rate this comment: 12345
    • email
      Guest (Tharglet) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts:
      1
      If you really wanted, you could set up your own mailserver and be fully responsible for your own mail...
      But that depends if ur ISP has blocked the mail ports or not
      Rate this comment: 12345
    • The right to privacy is NEVER Guaranteed
      Guest (DAVID C SKUL) on 02/10/2006 at 12:00 AM
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      1
      I am curious why people expect that their privacy is being protected by default.

      If you rent a home, the lease always states that the landlord has the right of entry at any time for any reason.

      Gmail and all the other free mail services are entitled to the same right of entry.

      They own the house and you have agreed to let them come in anytime they want. Read the terms of service!

      David C Skul - CEO
      Relativity, Inc.
      http://www.relativitycorp.com
      Rate this comment: 12345
  • You can backup your messages
    Guest (Gmail User) on 01/08/2006 at 3:12 AM
    Posts:
    1
    they have a pop3 that allows to to completly download your messages on to your computers harddrive.

    Thus you can save them and backup. I hardly ever use gmails interface only to do a quick cleaning now and then i use thunderbird to handle ALL my email and have always been able to back it up to my backup hard drive
    Rate this comment: 12345
    • Ludicrous for two reasons - Ads & Backup
      Guest (Jamie) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts:
      1
      Ads - This article is surrounded by advertising.  How offensive can it be?

      Backup - As noted by several already, you can and have been able to backup your mail using POP for some time.

      Find something serious to discuss before wasting my time in the future, please.
      Rate this comment: 12345
      • Irony indeed
        Guest (Tharglet) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
        Posts:
        1
        If you saw the irony of the ads, there's also google ones there too...
        A lot of the websites one visits is ad supported, each having ads on other sites.
        And ISPs don't put the ads on a page, they email them to you.... well some do.
        Rate this comment: 12345
  • google
    Guest (vysakh Chandra) on 01/09/2006 at 3:42 AM
    Posts:
    1
    nice article
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • Its why I dont use Gmail, or Hotmail or Yahoo
    Guest (Bob Campbell) on 12/29/2005 at 8:08 AM
    Posts:
    1
    I just cant get past having my email stored on someone elses computer. The same with documents, images or any other electronic piece of information. It just goes against my grain, Ive tried them all and each seems to have its own benefits, but I always revert to my ISP desktop based email.
    Despite the hype surrounding the brand new old technology of AJAX, it does nothing to  allay user fears, both corporate and consumer, surrounding security and downtime because of service outages.
    I work for a financial services company. The company has all of web based email services blocked internally. Users simply cannot get to these types of email accounts. And for someone to use our products, they must have a regular email account with their ISP and cannot use a web based email account for verification.
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • You can backup your messages
    Guest (Gmail User) on 01/08/2006 at 3:12 AM
    Posts:
    1
    they have a pop3 that allows to to completly download your messages on to your computers harddrive.

    Thus you can save them and backup. I hardly ever use gmails interface only to do a quick cleaning now and then i use thunderbird to handle ALL my email and have always been able to back it up to my backup hard drive
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • google
    Guest (vysakh Chandra) on 01/09/2006 at 3:42 AM
    Posts:
    1
    nice article
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • POP
    Guest (YDLH) on 01/10/2006 at 12:00 AM
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    1
    You can download your mail using Gmail's POP service.  However, your mail may still be on their servers, which may be inconvient in the event of a subpoena.
    Rate this comment: 12345
    • true but...
      Guest (Erika Chow) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts:
      1
      While that may be true, I feel like if you don't get in trouble or cause any trouble of some sorts, your email being subpoena'd really shouldn't matter at all.
      Rate this comment: 12345
      • But that is what privacy and data integrity is all about!
        Guest (Brian Utterback) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
        Posts:
        1
        Everybody has secrets, things that they would rather not share with the world. That's what privacy is all about. Remember, you do not have to do anything wrong at all to be accused of it, or involved in the investigation of somebody else's wrong doing.
        Rate this comment: 12345
      • Nothing to hide?
        Guest (Mike) on 02/03/2006 at 12:00 AM
        Posts:
        1
        A lot of people use this argument "I have nothing to hide, I don't have to worry". Funny, you never see them walking around naked.
        Rate this comment: 12345
    • POP redux
      Guest (Bruce McIntosh) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts:
      1
      Just recently I discovered the support Google provides for POP.  It addresses most of the issues of this article.  I check GMAIL every 5 minutes using Eudora and they send the data using a secure connection.  I never see the ads and could delete the messages in GMAIL if I was concerned about legal issuses.
      Rate this comment: 12345
  • Ads in email
    Guest (Maxine Clarke) on 01/17/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    I liked the article and agree with some of the points made about saving and archiving. However, I think you are hard on Google over the ads when you compare its service with hotmail and yahoo mail. I have never signed up to hotmail or yahoo for this reason, but I am a happy user of gmail. My children are young and have hotmail/yahoo accounts, the flashing ads and unsuitable content are dreadful. I am much more content as a parent for them to have gmail (now googlemail in the UK)-- as the ads are targeted to what they are writing about, which is usually Harry Potter and Narnia rather than unsuitable content.
    Rate this comment: 12345
    • I think Gmail ROCKS!
      Guest (James) on 02/03/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts:
      1
      Ads are def. NOT intrusive -- they are need undistracting on the side, and only a few.
      Gawd have you seen how bothersome the other 'free' mail hosting sites are? A real pain - so much so not worth using!
      Its fast, offers many features, and being web-based, anywhere in the world.
      Rate this comment: 12345
      • Ads
        Guest (Anonymous) on 02/09/2006 at 12:00 AM
        Posts:
        1
        I see no problem with the ads. Every free service has ads if it's any good. I never even notice the ads anyways. It is much better than other people who have lots of popups or framed ads that you have to close while reading every email. Sometimes the ads are kind of odd, like when checking my spam folder I got an ad for someone selling cans of spam, but I never see inapropriate ones.
        Rate this comment: 12345
  • Paradox
    Guest (Eduardo Kives Ostronoff) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    I get 2 Google ads in each page of this article, beside many other not so targeted. For me it's just a case of abstract thinking: go for a higher level of abstraction and think that those ads do not exist.
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • Beta
    Guest (John Hammond) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    Is GMAIL still in Beta?
    Rate this comment: 12345
    • Yup.
      Guest (Tharglet) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts:
      1
      Just as the subject says - yes.
      Rate this comment: 12345
  • Sell your computer
    Guest (Mark) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    This is the way technology is going and it is consumer led. Google would not be successful if we did not find those ads useful! Google are also trying a lot harder tan MSN and Yahoo etc to look after peoples privacy. Never send an e-mail and sell your computer if you want total privacy.
    Rate this comment: 12345
    • I agree
      Guest (Tharglet) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts:
      1
      the best form of security is not to use a PC indeed. People are often too complacent about data security. Imo paper can be safer as ppl are more aware and there is a limit to the number of ppl who can access it. A PC is often open to the world pretty much.
      Why else would banks send ur pin in a separate letter to your card? Paper is generally safer.
      But nothing is truly "safe"
      Rate this comment: 12345
      • Paranioa?
        Guest (NAW) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
        Posts:
        1
        I have been using Gmail POP for a while and I like it. I think your a fool if you RELY on ANY "free" service. I have an ISP account for things of importance.

        Another point, the gov't will end up getting what they want. Microsoft and AOL have been in the game long enough to know I bet...although I admire Google's "independence".

        IF the gmail account dies, I'll get another free POP account somewhere else, thats going to take all of 5 minutes!

        Oh yeah, if you have things to hide, don't be dumb enough to use email.
        Rate this comment: 12345
  • Advertisements highly distasteful?
    Guest (LG) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    The Internet has proven that advertising makes the world go 'round.  If you personally find ads highly distasteful, the entire world wide web must leave a horrific taste in your mouth.
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • No Free Lunch
    Guest (R Barrera) on 02/01/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    Just pay for secure storage--see eg www.firstbackup.com--automated, pricing for home users, etc.  There are many other vendors.  Why expect Google to offer these services? 
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • email has never been private
    Guest (Steve Rose) on 02/03/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    Because email messages may pass through several servers on their way to Google, or directly to you, and there is no promise of privacy or deletion by these intermediaries, the privacy policies of the terminal recipient are somewhat irrelevant.  An email message is writing that may become public any number of ways.  Don't put it in writing if you don't intend to share it.  The only somewhat secure option is to encrypt the message if you have shared the key with the recipient by other means.

    Steve
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • Online Services Force US Law on International Users
    Guest (A Robulack) on 02/16/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    I've written about this matter in my newspaper column and blog (http://www.woolsock.ca/geeklove/2005/03/the_americans_w.html).

    I consider the largest risk to users from GMail and other internet-based application services to be paranoid US anti-terrorist legislation.

    Without even informing a user, US-based companies must hand over any and all data related to a user under the Patriot Act. This applies to international subsidiaries of US companies, as well.

    So at any time, Google may be forced to hand over one's entire GMail account to the US federal government and that user would be none the wiser.
    Rate this comment: 12345
  • This is stupid
    Guest (anon) on 05/21/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts:
    1
    Yes I said stupid,
    If you think your email was ever private look up the carnivore FBI system. Then you will see the truth my friend. MAHAHAHA
    Rate this comment: 12345
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