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How snitch-proof are internet SMS substitutes?

How snitch-proof are internet SMS substitutes?

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google talk stock 1020
google talk stock 1020

As internet-based text messaging apps continue to supplant SMS, what happens to user privacy protections? The ACLU uses a 2012 federal drug case to highlight Google’s asymmetrical treatment of its various messaging services like Google Voice, Google Talk, and Google+. Google Voice's hybrid nature make it unclear from a reading of the law whether the more stringent legal requirements of communications metadata, or the more lax requirements of SMS apply, and the ACLU criticizes Google for its failure to let customers make an informed decision about the privacy risks associated with its products.