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wlesieutre • yesterday at 6:48 PM • 2 replies • view on HN

If you draft an email threatening someone and delete it without sending have you committed a felony because someone at Google could be reading your drafts box, stored in a datacenter across state lines?


Replies

thebeardisred • yesterday at 7:26 PM

Honestly, I'm equally fascinated by the way email has changed. 30 years ago when you drafted an email but didn't send it, it was only on your local machine. There was no SMTP. 20 years ago, it might be a 50/50 shot as to whether you "transmitted" it to your "Drafts" folder if you were using IMAP instead of POP3 to read it.

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sandworm101 • yesterday at 6:56 PM

Sounds reasonable. Google's bots could pick that up easily and forward if for human review.

FYI, the use of drafts folders to transmit messages has been used by terrorists. This is likely where CIA director David Petraeus got the idea when he needed a secure way to chat with his mistress.

https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/technologist/gen-petraeus...

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