Should Google be able to scan this Gmail inbox?

Do you think Google should have the ability to scan your emails?  This question has ignited an intense debate.  Is this scanning an invasion of privacy?  Google is fighting in a lawsuit so that it can continue to scan Gmail accounts.  An electronic scanner (not a human) analyzes the content of the mail and displays advertisements based on this analysis.

Google argues that “all users of email must necessarily expect their emails will be subject to automated processing.”  The lawsuit argues that Google “unlawfully opens, reads, and acquires the contents of people’s private messages.”  Reportedly, Google also scans the email accounts of those who have sent mail to an owner of a Gmail account.  This means that if the owner of a Yahoo email account sends mail to the owner of a Gmail account, Google scans the emails of the owner of the Yahoo account.  The lawsuit asserts that Google is doing this illegally, since the owner of the Yahoo account has not agreed to Google’s terms and conditions.

Armon Mobasher, a junior at Bob Jones, said, “Gmail should not have the right to scan people’s email for any reason, and this practice should end immediately.  It is wrong to spy on people, which is exactly what Google is doing.”  Nate Santiago, a student at Bob Jones, said, “Google is not spying on anyone.  They just want to bring Gmail users targeted advertisements, which I like.”  Armon disagrees with Nate: “That’s an invasion of privacy.  Google should just show random ads instead of scanning our email to see what kind of ads we should see.”

It looks like the  Courts will decide this dispute.