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Switching from Gmail to FastMail

maxmasnick.com

71–80 of 230 posts

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#71
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their servers are located in the US according to the article.

The GGP started off by saying: > American company… Then, noticing the critical error, the GP said: > Fastmail is owned by Opera a Norwegian company. Replying to the American company part. > You said: Their servers are located in the US according to the article. So, the servers location have nothing to do with whether the company is American or not. And while that might have a bearing on certain facets of the topic as…

And while that might have a bearing on certain facets of the topic as a whole

As in, the actual point, which is that your e-mails are liable to be searched by the NSA.

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#72
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their servers are located in the US according to the article.

The GGP started off by saying: > American company… Then, noticing the critical error, the GP said: > Fastmail is owned by Opera a Norwegian company. Replying to the American company part. > You said: Their servers are located in the US according to the article. So, the servers location have nothing to do with whether the company is American or not. And while that might have a bearing on certain facets of the topic as…

The point wasn't if the company was American, but if the NSA will have the reach to read your emails and with American servers, I believe it does.

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#73

American company, American servers, American jurisdiction. Sure they won't read your email, but the NSA will (just like Gmail.) Update: hmm, so Opera aren't american? interesting. All the servers are definitely in the US though: > "we have standard servers and a high speed connection in the US." - https://www.fastmail.fm/help/overview_about.html

[deleted]

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#74

American company, American servers, American jurisdiction. Sure they won't read your email, but the NSA will (just like Gmail.) Update: hmm, so Opera aren't american? interesting. All the servers are definitely in the US though: > "we have standard servers and a high speed connection in the US." - https://www.fastmail.fm/help/overview_about.html

Fastmail is hosted by NYI.net in Lower Manhattan, a major FreeBSD shop. The site lists Opera as one of their customers.

The very nature of e-mail leads me to conclude that it really doesn't matter where an e-mail provider is located, because it will always be intercepted at some point. One can use another e-mail service, but if the people you talk to still use gmail, then does it really matter?

Perhaps it's time to talk about new messaging systems, with encryption by default, and a new address and routing system coupled with Tor.

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#75
post #73

American company, American servers, American jurisdiction. Sure they won't read your email, but the NSA will (just like Gmail.) Update: hmm, so Opera aren't american? interesting. All the servers are definitely in the US though: > "we have standard servers and a high speed connection in the US." - https://www.fastmail.fm/help/overview_about.html

[deleted]

I'm not bashing the USA in general, I'm sorry if it sounds like it (it's quite hard to write a catchy comment in this vein and get the tone right, perhaps I got the balance wrong this time.)

However, I am pointing out something that a lot of non-US citizens on HN have been saying lots over the past few weeks; setting up an email service that is outside the US (for the purpose of trying to avoid PRISM surveillance) is nontrivial, and while it would be great if this app were the answer to that, it sadly isn't.

I'm all for the US justice system doing what it's supposed to and having the supreme court rule on the constitutionality of PRISM! Then it will no longer be valid to generalise that all US-hosted services are bad news for privacy.

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#76
post #29

American company, American servers, American jurisdiction. Sure they won't read your email, but the NSA will (just like Gmail.) Update: hmm, so Opera aren't american? interesting. All the servers are definitely in the US though: > "we have standard servers and a high speed connection in the US." - https://www.fastmail.fm/help/overview_about.html

Yep. If the servers are in the US, or any of the NSA-tained countries like Australia, somebody is reading it.

Can you please tell me where you think a server needs to be located were you would consider to be "safe." Please note that every European country also falls into the will be happy to spy on someone camp.

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#77
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. If the servers are in the US, or any of the NSA-tained countries like Australia, somebody is reading it.

Can you please tell me where you think a server needs to be located were you would consider to be "safe." Please note that every European country also falls into the will be happy to spy on someone camp.

Iceland?

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#78
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

I'm not bashing the USA in general, I'm sorry if it sounds like it (it's quite hard to write a catchy comment in this vein and get the tone right, perhaps I got the balance wrong this time.) However, I am pointing out something that a lot of non-US citizens on HN have been saying lots over the past few weeks; setting up an email service that is outside the US (for the purpose of trying to avoid PRISM surveillance) is…

I'm 99.9% certain that the Supreme Court would rule such programs Constitutional.

Re: Switching from Gmail to FastMail

#80
post #47
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i pay for my gmail (google apps) so I don't have any ads.

Is there anything (for example in the T&Cs) that stops Google from creeping ads to paying customers in the future? I bet not.

Yes. Google Apps business model, and all Google Enterprise products for that matter, do not rely on ads for revenue. Google sells their business customers a product and generates revenue through those sales. The TOS protects your data.
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