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Continuing the California Senator Challenges Gmail story that appeared here, Senator Liz Figueroa has drawn up a bill that would require member consent in order to place contextual ads within Gmail mailings.

The bill is not limited to Gmail's service. According to Computer Business Review Online, the bill "would allow email providers to scan the content of outgoing email or instant messages only with the express consent of the user."

Senator Figueroa stance is a response to Gmail using an automated service to scan emails and place contextual ads based upon the content of the mailing. This practice has come under fire from European privacy groups as well as the California senator.

User consent is not the only sticking point within the bill. Scanning and placement of ads can only done to incoming messages "if the sender was on the same service and had also provided consent."

Thanks to Battelle for the heads up. Incidentally, he calls the senators actions "grandstanding".

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