Press-Enterprise (CA) editorial: Guard your e-mail

[question everything]

Watch what you say and buy online. Your Internet company may be taking notes. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Massachusetts ruled this month that an Internet service provider can read its subscribers' e-mails.

(snip)

The case involved a bookseller that offered e-mail accounts to its customers. The firm wanted to track its online competition, so one manager inserted code in the e-mail system that copied messages sent from subscribers to Amazon.com. When the scheme came to light, the manager was charged with violating the federal Wiretap Act.

The court ruled the bookseller innocent because the messages weren't in transit but instead in "temporary storage" - the ISP's servers - when they were intercepted. The major ISPs, including America Online and Earthlink, rushed to calm subscribers, saying they don't and won't intercept e-mails. The pledge is part of the privacy agreement the ISPs offer at sign-up.

Even with those assurances, privacy analysts say the ruling's ripe for appeal to the Supreme Court. It may also nudge Congress to clearly spell out the level of privacy e-mail users should expect. In the meantime, if you're really concerned, consider using encryption software to code your correspondence. The bottom line: Stay vigilant. And if you worry about intruders rummaging through your e-mailbox, find an ISP that'll lock them out.

Online at: http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_op_10_ed_privacy.a1110.html