GMail Troubles

California State Senator Liz Figueroa wants Google to rethink its Gmail proposal. In her press release regarding a letter she sent to Google, she calls Gmail a “misbegotten idea.” She is also threatening legislation that would “probably require Google to notify users that their messages are being monitored and perhaps give them the opportunity to opt out. That also goes for Gmail recipients who are not Google clients.”

In many instances, I’m not opposed to privacy legislation. I’m not entirely certain that it’s warranted in this case, though. Market forces are already at work. A thread on WebmasterWorld.com already notes that some ISPs are rejecting mail sent through Gmail. Businesses are seriously considering not sending anything to Gmail addresses because they don’t want competitor ads showing up and causing customer service issues.

At this rate, Gmail will not be very useful. You won’t be able to send mail with it, and you won’t be able to use it for transactional business.