Yahoo! News - Calif. Senate OKs E-Mail Scanning Limits
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Senate approved a measure Thursday that would curtail a new e-mail service from Google Inc. that scours messages to tailor advertisements for users of the service.

The bill, approved 24-8, is a reaction to the Internet search powerhouse's plan to start a free e-mail service, "Gmail," that gives users a gigabyte of storage but attaches ads for products related to what's discussed in the e-mail.

Technology that allows e-mail content to be scanned could allow companies to "use our e-mails to create profiles on us, based on our most personal and intimate thoughts," said the bill's author, Sen. Liz Figueroa, a Democrat from Sunol.

The bill allows the e-mails to be scanned for marketing purposes, but prohibits companies from compiling the information into a database. It also bans companies from selling or sharing the information it gleans to third parties.

Well, if they can do this, why not just open up the snail mail, too? Read the letters, stick a few flyers in the envelope? *shudder*