Police search for murder clues in e-mail

[golfmom]

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2005/10/googles_magic_p.html

Google regularly gets away with this kind of thing. According to its privacy policy, Google explicitly reserves the right to track every time you click on a link from one of its searches. If you use Gmail as your primary E-mail--and many people do--Google keeps a repository of all your E-mail, and indexes it for marketing purposes.

..........

By tracking clicks and storing E-mail, Google is keeping a detailed dossier on each of its users Internet-usage habits. And that means it knows a lot about our real lives, too; because, here in the 21st century, our online habits are reflections of our real lives. We shop online, do finances online, we use the Internet to research our medical conditions, hobbies, and leisure activities.

Google recently updated its privacy policy to spell out more clearly how it's using the information it collects, and how it protects against abuse. But the new privacy policy remains silent on how long the information is kept.

Moreover, it's unclear what happens if the privacy policy gets violated. That repository of user information will be a big, juicy target for all sorts of people.

If there were a management change at Google, new management might decide it wants to exploit the information more aggressively and would likely find the law easy to get around if it does.

I expect courts to subpoena Google's records any minute now. I can imagine all sorts of interesting ways a person's Internet-usage habits could be handy evidence in a divorce trial, especially if infidelity or child custody are issues.
...........

 

[Jenifred]

GM, do you think that it's been difficult to get the emails from Google? Is that why you posted this?

 

[golfmom]

GM, do you think that it's been difficult to get the emails from Google? Is that why you posted this?

No, I think it's very easy based on GOOGLE's policy. What I found interesting is that GOOGLE also tracks any SEARCHES you perform while logged in gmail.

Interesting . . . .

Since we KNOW that Raven used gmail, that means there's a possibility that they won't need the laptop to track what websites Raven and Janet were interested in viewing ...

 

[Jenifred]

then maybe you think that going through all of his searches might be taking a little while?

 

[terminatrixator]

I'm sure there a lot of Metrosexual Sites out there, I'm sure he never looked up the word Sociopath though, he should have.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

then maybe you think that going through all of his searches might be taking a little while?

I wonder who gets the information from Google. Would it be the police department or would they forward them to some computer department of some sort? We know that the computer forensics lab is backed up a full year but I don't get the sense that this subpoenaed information would have to go to that lab, (depending on how straight-forward it is or isn't).

It has been a while. I wonder how this part of the investigation is going.

 

[terminatrixator]

[size=-1]This would be a ton of information to go through, and probably only one person would probably be going through all this. It all depends on how much Raven and Janet used the computer. I know, if it was me being searched, it would probably take forever to go through all my computer usage for just a few months worth of internet use.
[/size][size=-1]
Here is a very interesting article regarding Google and Gmail.

http://www.bizreport.com/print/9081/
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[/size][size=-1]
Here's Google Privacy Policy for those that may be interested
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[size=-1]http://www.google.com/privacy_archive_2004.html
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[size=-1]Google respects and protects the privacy of the individuals that use Google's search engine services ("Google Search Services"). Individually identifiable information about you is not willfully disclosed to any third party without first receiving your permission, as explained in this privacy policy ("Privacy Policy"). [/size]

[size=-1]Google and Cookies [/size] [size=-1]Upon your first visit to Google, Google sends a "cookie" to your computer. A cookie is a piece of data that identifies you as a unique user. Google uses cookies to improve the quality of our service and to understand our user base more. Google does this by storing user preferences in cookies and by tracking user trends and patterns of how people search. Google will not disclose its cookies to third parties except as required by a valid legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena, statute, or court order.[/size]

[size=-1] Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. You can reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. Be aware, however, that some parts of the Google Search Service may not function properly if you refuse cookies. [/size]

[size=-1]What Information Do We Collect? [/size] [size=-1]Google does not collect any unique information about you (such as your name, email address, etc.) except when you specifically and knowingly provide such information. Google notes and saves information such as time of day, browser type, browser language, and IP address with each query. That information is used to verify our records and to provide more relevant services to users. For example, Google may use your IP address or browser language to determine which language to use when showing search results or advertisements.[/size]

[size=-1]Links to Other Sites [/size] [size=-1]The sites displayed as search results or linked to by Google Search Services are developed by people over whom Google exercises no control. Other links, such as those for the Google-friends mailing list archive, are also on sites not controlled by Google. These other sites may send their own cookies to users, collect data, or solicit personal information. Google may choose to exhibit its search results in the form of a "URL redirecter." When Google uses a URL redirecter, if you click on a URL from a search result, information about the click is sent to Google, and Google in turn sends you to the site you clicked on. Google uses this URL information to understand and improve the quality of Google's search technology. For instance, Google uses this information to determine how often users are satisfied with the first result of a query and how often they proceed to later results. [/size]

[size=-1]With Whom Does Google Share Information? [/size] [size=-1]Google may share information about you with advertisers, business partners, sponsors, and other third parties. However, we only divulge aggregate information about our users and will not share personally identifiable information with any third party without your express consent. For example, we may disclose how frequently the average Google user visits Google, or which other query words are most often used with the query word "Linux." Please be aware, however, that we will release specific personal information about you if required to do so in order to comply with any valid legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena, statute, or court order. [/size]

[size=-1]Your consent and changes to the Privacy Policy[/size] [size=-1]By using the Google Search Services and our web site, you consent to the collection and use of your information as we have outlined in this policy and to our Terms of Service Policy. Google may decide to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post those changes on this page so that you are always aware of the information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we disclose it. [/size]

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

[size=-1]Please be aware, however, that we will release specific personal information about you if required to do so in order to comply with any valid legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena, statute, or court order.[/size]

It's interesting ... how many times have we all read those words in terms of service agreements? I've seen those words a million times, and always skip right over them like "Whatever, I've got nothing to hide". I wonder how it feels to read those words again AFTER your records have been subpoenaed, especially if you know you've done something wrong. I wonder if you'd second-guess some of your earlier decisions or it you wish you'd have been wiser about your online activity.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

So we learned on August 17th that LE was looking into Raven and Janet's e-mail accounts. This could mean one of two things, (although IMO, one of them is more likely than the other):

1) They wanted to find out if there was someone Janet was corresponding with that could have threatened her, etc., or if there was something she might have said to someone about any fears she was having, etc.

2) As of August 17th, nearly four months into the investigation of Janet's murder, LE was still looking hard at Raven as a POI.

I wish we'd hear an update.