I think that these days, there is really no question that Google is not always ‘our friend’. Understand that I am not picking on Google here. But like with any sort of legally required situation calling them forth to do so, they will sell you out like a snitch in a prison.

It’s only a matter of time before other attorneys realize that a person’s entire search history is available for the asking, and the subpoenas begin to fly. This could happen in civil lawsuits or criminal prosecutions.

That type of fishing expedition is not legally permitted for Web mail providers. But because search engines are not fully shielded by the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act–concocted back in the era of CompuServe and bulletin board systems–their users don’t enjoy the same level of privacy. Source: News.com

Tags: google, privacy, compuserve, electronic communications privacy act, web mail providers