So how many of you have a Hotmail (including msn & outlook), gmail, yahoo and other such types of free email accounts? Come on raise your hand! You know you have one. Well, did you know that that under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act companies like Microsoft, Google and Yahoo can legally read and disclose your emails if they claim they are acting to protect their rights and / or property? As Will Yakowicz discusses, Microsoft recently exercised this right by searching the Hotmail accounts and instant messages of an ex-employee who they suspected of stealing and selling their trade secrets. Though Microsoft’s actions were legal, following the public backlash, they announced that they will seek a court order before taking similar actions in the future.
But stop and think about this for a moment, Microsoft’s decision to seek a court order is simply a courtesy. So long as you are using their services, these free email providers can legally invade your private data and communications. As a small business owner yourself, I am sure you understand these company’s concern over protecting their trade secrets (something you will have to think about too when we discuss employee use of smartphones in a post next week). And, giving up these free accounts may not be feasible for many of us who are trying to minimize our expenses. So what other options do we have if we want to protect our privacy? Frankly I wish I could provide an easy answer for you. All I can say is that you should always assume that your communications via these email accounts are NOT 100% secure.
