For many people in Fort Lauderdale, and elsewhere, there are aspects of their life that they would like kept private, like their personal conversations and communications. Questions over privacy and what a company or business can and cannot monitor are at the forefront of a lawsuit involving Google Inc.
According to reports, a group of Google Inc. e-mail users filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming it was violating federal and state wiretap laws by scanning all e-mails sent through their services. In the lawsuit, the users allege that Google uses the information gathered through the scans for its own purposes and benefits and does not fully disclose the level of processing that e-mails sent through Gmail undergo.
For it’s part, Google Inc. has reportedly requested that the case be dismissed. Representatives for Google point to the privacy and confidentiality agreement users must agree to when signing up for the service that expressly addresses the scanning of e-mails in order to provide the services promised and for the purpose of consumer targeted advertisements. Google suggests the monitoring, as done for their purposes, is not subject to the federal wiretap laws.
No matter what the business type, there are laws and policies that must be adhered to. When they are not, or a consumer, competitor or other, unrelated company feels a company has in some way wronged or violated their rights, business disputes can result. An attorney can help to ensure that you have met all of your legal obligations and requirements to reduce the chances of business litigation.
Source: Bloomberg, “Google Seeks to Dismiss E-Mail Wiretap Privacy Lawsuit”, Joel Rosenblatt, Sep. 5, 2013
