IRS claims it can read your e-mail without a warrant

Re:IRS claims it can read your e-mail without a warrant by beedogs on Wednesday April 10, 2013 @09:09PM (#5529296)

> If you understand how SMTP works, it's hard to argue that it's a private means of communication.

This is true, and a great point. I often open my neighbors' postal mail using this same excuse. Sometimes you can even read the letters and notices right through the paper envelope!

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:IRS claims it can read your e-mail without a warrant by mpyne on Wednesday April 10, 2013 @09:46PM (#5529421)

Postcards are the better analogy for SMTP, not "opening postal mail".

With that said, it's actually a Federal crime to remove mail from someone else's mailbox to obstruct or pry into their business (even for postcards), which would seem to support your overall point.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1702

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:IRS claims it can read your e-mail without a warrant by beedogs on Thursday April 11, 2013 @07:32AM (#5531220)

That's sort of my point, yeah. Think of your mailspool (protected by a password and login, at the very least, and oftentimes encrypted via SSL-IMAP or the like) as your postal mailbox and the analogy I was aiming for makes perfect sense.

Sure, it's easy to snoop emails in-flight, but once it arrives at its destination, it ought to be hands-off.

[ Parent | on HN ]