Govt can read old emails without warrant

[DrLeftover]

February 11, 2015

WASHINGTON — If you’ve been remiss in cleaning out your email in-box, here’s some incentive: The federal government can read any emails that are more than six months old without a warrant.

Little known to most Americans, ambiguous language in a communications law passed in 1986 extends Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure only to electronic communications sent or received fewer than 180 days ago.

The language, known as the “180-day rule,” allows government officials to treat any emails, text messages or documents stored on remote servers – popularly known as the cloud – as “abandoned” and therefore accessible using administrative subpoena power, a tactic that critics say circumvents due process.

As you rush to purge your Gmail and Dropbox accounts, however, be forewarned that even deleted files still could be fair game as long as copies exist on a third-party server somewhere.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/02/11/256304/government-wonders-whats-in-your.html

 

[Jazzy]

Makes me glad that I take the time every morning to clean out email in-box messages.

 

[+paradox]

Makes me glad that I take the time every morning to clean out email in-box messages.

there just soft deletes...

they can still be recovered and looked by evil scum agents that violate people's liberty and rights on the daily basis...

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

They can read anything they want in regards to me, they wont find anything interesting or worth their time.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Makes me glad that I take the time every morning to clean out email in-box messages.

The moment you typed it they have it. You do not even need to send it out since they can save the info as you type the words.

I predict a day when old school sending letters by mail will return for being popular again.

 

[Evil Eye]

Whatever emails I send aren't very interesting. Not exactly my preferred way of communicating.

 

[duskpire]

I'm not surprised. I heard that all email is monitored by the government.