Google’s patent application raises controversy over privacy issues

Google seems to have filed a patent that would allow it to spy on users' email and look for 'problematic / controversial' phrases, which basically is stuff people should not be writing and which ran foul of company policies and or laws of the land, says a a post on HuffingtonPost.

Google already has a lot of control over people's email content with the ads that are matched to key-words in users' mail and according to analysts the patent would naturally heighten user concerns.

The first paragraph of `Google's patent application itself has an ominous ring to it: ''Methods and systems for identifying problematic phrases in an electronic document, such as an e-mail, are disclosed. A context of an electronic document may be detected. A textual phrase entered by a user is captured. The textual phrase is compared against a database of phrases previously identified as being problematic phrases. If the textual phrase matches a phrase in the database, the user is alerted via an in-line notification, based on the detected context of the electronic document.''

The feature would essentially allow Google to not only figure out 'problematic / illegal' phrases but would also allow the search-giant to approach parties that would take umbrage whether it users' bosses or the state.

The HuffPost article points out, that the tool would not only reveal the message's potential for protocol violation, it could also raise the flag  over violation of rules, and suggest alternate less risky wording and, crucially, alert third parties to the violation.

In defense of the patent, Google claims, "Electronic communication is now the primary way most business employees communicate with one another," the company wrote in its application.

"Text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and electronic mail (email) allow users to communicate and collaborate without the delay imposed by traditional paper-based communication. However, emails and other communications between employees can implicate potential violations of company policy or local, state or federal law that can go unchecked by attorneys or other legal personnel."

That was where the idea for Google's new software, Policy Violation Checker, could come into play.

"It is in the best interest of companies to prevent violations of company policy or laws before they occur," stated the application. "As businesses grow, the number of documents in a business rises exponentially, and the potential that a particular document may implicate a violation of law or company policy grows. Business employees often knowingly or unknowingly discuss actions that could potentially lead to violations of company policy, such as a confidentiality policy, or run afoul of the law."

The system could be implemented using software, firmware, hardware or in combination, according to the application. It could run on almost any kind of device, including a computer, distributed computing system, embedded system, stand-alone electronic device, networked device, mobile device, set-top box or television.