End-to-End Encrypted GMail? Not So Easy

https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/felten/end-to-end-encrypted-gmail-not-so-easy/

by chmars • 14 years ago

10 6 14 years ago

freedom-to-tinker.com

amalag2• 14 years ago

And how would they make money by serving you relevant ads if they can't parse your email?

DanBC• 14 years ago

They'd add a subscription option for people wanting encryption.

amalag2• 14 years ago

So the subscription cost would have to cover the extra cost for not only regular gmail because they can't serve you ads, but also the extra manpower of providing encryption. A feature that they can will only sell to a limited audience. Sorry won't happen, no matter what utopian pixie dust someone is snorting.

chmars• 14 years ago

Google Apps for Business users pay USD 50/year and have an option to disable ads.

capo• 14 years ago

"Filtering spam for us and showing ads for them" doesn't quite sum all the benefits of a parse-able inbox, what about when Google Now notifies you about flight and delivery updates by scanning your inbox, and stuff like this: https://www.google.com/experimental/gmailfieldtrial

End-to-end encryption could be offered as a premium feature though.

ChuckMcM• 14 years ago

I also think there is a great plausible deniability in offering end to end encryption. At Blekko we delete logs and personally identifiable information after 24/48 hrs. Sure we could just say we do, and not do it, but one of the benefits it gives us is that when presented with a National Security Letter we can throw our hands up and say, "Hey its all we got, and we don't keep more by policy."

So if Google gave you end to end and made it work, even though they "could" thwart it without your knowledge they could plausibly not turn over stuff to a third party without a warrant. I am not sure if they think about it that way though.

End-to-End Encrypted GMail? Not So Easy

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