For some background on the email scanning issue take a look at this post from March 19th, “Google Admits to Data-Mining Student Emails.”

From Reuters:

Google updated its terms of service on Monday, informing users that their incoming and outgoing emails are automatically analyzed by software to create targeted ads.

The revisions more explicitly spell out the manner in which Google software scans users’ emails, both when messages are stored on Google’s servers and when they are in transit, a controversial practice that has been at the heart of litigation.

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Google’s updated terms of service added a paragraph stating that “our automated systems analyze your content (including emails) to provide you personally relevant product features, such as customized search results, tailored advertising, and spam and malware detection. This analysis occurs as the content is sent, received, and when it is stored.

Review the Changes to Google’s Terms of Service

Read the Complete Reuters Article

See Also: Privacy: Google Amends Terms to Clarify that Data is Analyzed for Ads (April 3, 2014)

and in other Google/Privacy Related News…Google Tests a Way to Follow You to the Mall (WSJ via Google Cache)