Termination of Google's services

hadaso · 22 Mar 2006, 04:37 AM

I just saw this in the "Terms and Conditions:" section in http://pages.google.com/

Quote:

Upon the termination of your use of Google services, including upon receipt of a certificate or other legal document confirming your death, Google will close your account and you will no longer be able to retrieve content contained in that account.

Not only will Google close my account if I die... I will also not be able to retrieve my content in that case!

robert@fm · 22 Mar 2006, 05:07 AM

Reminds me of the unfortunate-double-meaning headline "Miners refuse to work after death".

After all, if I'd died and someone told me to get to work regardless, I'd tell them where to get off.

SusanUKF · 22 Mar 2006, 05:21 AM

Wow!! Who writes this stuff?? It is great for a laugh at any rate!! Thanks for sharing it with us, hadaso. The thread will bring many smiles to people's faces, it is really funny... I enjoyed your post as well, Robert (as always

) -- I am smiling now, as I am sure many others will when they read the two posts.

Susan.

hadaso · 22 Mar 2006, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SusanUKF
Wow!! Who writes this stuff??

They are called lawyers!

drew · 22 Mar 2006, 06:04 AM

I don't remember details so take the following as a suggestion and not a fact.

I vaguely remember a service who promised to keep emails that would be sent to all your friends when they knew through authorities that your dead. Or maybe if you failed to log in???

Anyway, I vaguely remember that they are not around anymore so all the persons trusting them maybe got refunded?

But I see the point of it. Suppose me actually do die next day in an accident or maybe stroke or something unexpected.

I would have liked if close friends got an email me thanking them for being there for me when I was alive?

or is that weird?

rmns2bseen · 22 Mar 2006, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hadaso
I just saw this in the "Terms and Conditions:" section in http://pages.google.com/ Not only will Google close my account if I die... I will also not be able to retrieve my content in that case!

That's just called "covering all the bases"

David · 22 Mar 2006, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hadaso
I just saw this in the "Terms and Conditions:" section in http://pages.google.com/ Not only will Google close my account if I die... I will also not be able to retrieve my content in that case!

Google will be able to access and read a persons email (after they have died) even though they are no longer allowed to, as their account has been closed. Is this fair?

rmns2bseen · 22 Mar 2006, 06:28 AM

It isn't fair; however, after I'm dead, I don't think I'll object

David · 22 Mar 2006, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rmns2bseen
It isn't fair; however, after I'm dead, I don't think I'll object

You don't know that for sure rmns2bseen; consider that other protocols may exist, beyond the boundaries of POP3 and IMAP4.

rmns2bseen · 22 Mar 2006, 06:41 AM

In those new protocols, I hope email will be way down on my list of concerns

But if the question is how you want to be remembered should your account be opened and read after your death: keep communications of the highest quality

(edit) maybe email accounts should be set up sort of like the tape recordings in the old Mission: Impossible TV series: once you breathe your last, they self-destruct

hadaso · 22 Mar 2006, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by drew
Anyway, I vaguely remember that they are not around anymore so all the persons trusting them maybe got refunded?

IF they don't get the promised service when the service is to take place, then they can ask for a refund and only if the refund is not received than they can sue...

David · 22 Mar 2006, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rmns2bseen
But if the question is how you want to be remembered should your account be opened and read after your death:

You Gmail could be retrieved after you death by others (I would think) All it would take would be a legal warrant.

Empath · 22 Mar 2006, 12:47 PM

It could be a result of the problems Yahoo had when the parents of an Iraq casualty demanded access to his email. Yahoo tried to preserve the privacy, but the courts forced them to let the parents have access.

If they make it policy to delete an account at the time of proof of death, then demands from parents, spouses, or other interested parties would be thwarted. Whether that's good or bad, would depend on your view of privacy.

David · 22 Mar 2006, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Empath

If they make it policy to delete an account at the time of proof of death, then demands from parents, spouses, or other interested parties would be thwarted. Whether that's good or bad, would depend on your view of privacy.

I am thinking that the email in an account (closed or deleted) might be just moved (not deleted) Google never say (anywhere) that they will delete email from their servers.

janusz · 23 Mar 2006, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Empath
the problems Yahoo had when the parents of an Iraq casualty demanded access to his email. Yahoo tried to preserve the privacy, but the courts forced them to let the parents have access.

The story is described e.g. in Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2005Feb2.html
But I've never seen anything about Yahoo having been forced to concede access. Do you happen to remember the source of this information?

22 Mar 2006, 06:41 AM	#10
rmns2bseen Master of the @ Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,426	In those new protocols, I hope email will be way down on my list of concerns But if the question is how you want to be remembered should your account be opened and read after your death: keep communications of the highest quality (edit) maybe email accounts should be set up sort of like the tape recordings in the old Mission: Impossible TV series: once you breathe your last, they self-destruct Last edited by rmns2bseen : 22 Mar 2006 at 06:47 AM.

22 Mar 2006, 05:07 AM	#2
robert@fm The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 4,681	Reminds me of the unfortunate-double-meaning headline "Miners refuse to work after death". After all, if I'd died and someone told me to get to work regardless, I'd tell them where to get off.

22 Mar 2006, 05:21 AM	#3
SusanUKF Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 5,428	Wow!! Who writes this stuff?? It is great for a laugh at any rate!! Thanks for sharing it with us, hadaso. The thread will bring many smiles to people's faces, it is really funny... I enjoyed your post as well, Robert (as always ) -- I am smiling now, as I am sure many others will when they read the two posts. Susan.

22 Mar 2006, 06:04 AM	#5
drew The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,626	I don't remember details so take the following as a suggestion and not a fact. I vaguely remember a service who promised to keep emails that would be sent to all your friends when they knew through authorities that your dead. Or maybe if you failed to log in??? Anyway, I vaguely remember that they are not around anymore so all the persons trusting them maybe got refunded? But I see the point of it. Suppose me actually do die next day in an accident or maybe stroke or something unexpected. I would have liked if close friends got an email me thanking them for being there for me when I was alive? or is that weird?

22 Mar 2006, 06:28 AM	#8
rmns2bseen Master of the @ Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,426	It isn't fair; however, after I'm dead, I don't think I'll object

22 Mar 2006, 12:47 PM	#13
Empath Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Keizer, Oregon USA Posts: 132	It could be a result of the problems Yahoo had when the parents of an Iraq casualty demanded access to his email. Yahoo tried to preserve the privacy, but the courts forced them to let the parents have access. If they make it policy to delete an account at the time of proof of death, then demands from parents, spouses, or other interested parties would be thwarted. Whether that's good or bad, would depend on your view of privacy.