Virgin email - spying or nanny?

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Yeah, its for snooping reasons Gary, VM have decided they have nothing better to do than look at everyones zip files.

I don't think it's for the reason of them being bored, Paul.

If it bothers you that much, compress them using something else.

An encrypted rar with an enclosed non extension file has gotten through.

As for snooping - you do realise that e-mail is plain text ? I take it you dont mind them reading all of that with the same AV scanner ......

I can't say I do as I don't use VM mail anyway.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Gary L

I can't say I do as I don't use VM mail anyway.

I think that says it all about this thread.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Moldova

You do also realise that no one actually physically reads your email unless it is flagged up as spam or a security issue.

I didn't know anyone at VM physically reads your emails for any reason, but I do now.

---------- Post added at 14:09 ---------- Previous post was at 14:07 ----------

Originally Posted by Moldova

I think that says it all about this thread.

What's wrong with that? do you have to be a murderer to be able to have an opinion of its rights and wrongs?

---------- Post added at 14:10 ---------- Previous post was at 14:09 ----------

Originally Posted by xocemp

And lets not forget

The same old same old.

Marker.

[Toto]

Originally Posted by Moldova

You do also realise that no one actually physically reads your email unless it is flagged up as spam or a security issue.

Sorry, you're way off there Moldova.

There is no way VM checks every outbound email going through its network, sets aside spam/security breach emails then passes them to a person to read.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Toto

Sorry, you're way off there Moldova.

There is no way VM checks every outbound email going through its network, sets aside spam/security breach emails then passes them to a person to read.

If it is flagged up that your email account is sending multiple mails out in a scattergun approach it is flagged up and then Security/Abuse will freeze your email account and possibly disable your broadband connection, at which point you will call in and ask what is going on.

[Sir John Luke]

Originally Posted by Moldova

All it comes down to in the end is if you do not like how a company handles your email then take your emails elsewhere as nothing is going to alter the fact that Virgin disallow encrypted emails to be sent.

No amount of posting on here will ever change that regardless of how hard done by you feel.

You obviously don't have a very high opinion of your employers if you don't think they take any notice of their customers. If that was true, we'd now be Phormed, and/or there would be no update to the VM privacy policy to explain Audience Science and give the option to opt out. They may not pay ENOUGH attention to what their customers say, but they do sometimes listen. Probably why we have some HD channels as well.

[graf_von_anonym]

Originally Posted by Toto

Sorry, you're way off there Moldova.

There is no way VM checks every outbound email going through its network, sets aside spam/security breach emails then passes them to a person to read.

The sheer volume of it counts against it. Where abuse has been reported (through this site
) or otherwise, Virgin can (and do, like any other ISP) look into a situation, but it's not that common. What you'll tend to see is accounts flagged for sending a large number of outgoing, usually spam, with a wee note to say "get this person to contact the abuse team" on the account. While Virgin have the capacity to look at outgoing email, they don't. It just isn't worth it. Abuse reports are almost invariably predicated on emails that have already been sent, at which point they're outwith your control anyway, even if you sent them consciously rather than because your machine was hijacked. I think that might be what Moldova meant, it's just the framing got confused

So before anyone else gets paranoid, Virgin have the capacity to look at outgoing email, but don't. They'll look at email that has been sent through their network if it's flagged as abusive or similar, but that's quite distinct.

[Gary L]

Email with VM isn't a free service. so for them to be filtering our emails in this way could well lead to legal action for blocking emails. more so the ones coming in.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Gary L

I don't think it's for the reason of them being bored, Paul.



An encrypted rar with an enclosed non extension file has gotten through.



I can't say I do as I don't use VM mail anyway.

So, you don't use VM mail. Why are you bothered then?

As for the restriction, are you aware that malware authors now send out encrypted zips with the password in the email? Some of these are quite official and convincing looking as well. There is no other purpose for doing this.

You also suggest people use a service that is *known* to scan people's email for advertising purposes and *rumoured* to use it for other, less customer friendly , purposes as well?

I, for one, applaud Virgin in this because it will hopefully stop a lot of virus infections.

If you are going to blame anyone for doing this, blame Malware authors. If they didn't encrypt their attachments with passwords, then send out millions of them, then companies like VM wouldn't need to block encrypted zips.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

So, you don't use VM mail. Why are you bothered then?

Because I can be.

As for the restriction, are you aware that malware authors now send out encrypted zips with the password in the email? Some of these are quite official and convincing looking as well. There is no other purpose for doing this.

VM are telling 'us' that we can't send them passworded. and are telling us that we can't receive them. whether malware authors distribute them in this fashion or not is irrelevant. because they are telling us that 'we' can't send them.

If you are going to blame anyone for doing this, blame Malware authors. If they didn't encrypt their attachments with passwords, then send out millions of them, then companies like VM wouldn't need to block encrypted zips.

You can blame something on something, and then something more. until one of them somethings are the accepted reason to why something came in force.

If they are to blame for why they have to be blocked, then they are being nanny. they should give you the option to not have your hand held for you. and let you be grown up and over the age of 18 where it's assumed that you might not be a child.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Email with VM isn't a free service. so for them to be filtering our emails in this way could well lead to legal action for blocking emails. more so the ones coming in.

Wrong again Gary as all email services provided by Virginmedia are a free service provided only for customers on a residential service and therefore you have to agree to the terms and conditions for use, so no chance of anyone taking legal action.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Moldova

Wrong again Gary as all email services provided by Virginmedia are a free service provided only for customers on a residential service and therefore you have to agree to the terms and conditions for use, so no chance of anyone taking legal action.

The router is free too. until you go to court and then 'The equipment remains property of Virgin Media'

and the terms and conditions of the email service have changed from what they were when you originally agreed.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Gary L

The router is free too. until you go to court and then 'The equipment remains property of Virgin Media'

The router at all times remains the property of Virginmedia that is why we offer full technical support.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Moldova

The router at all times remains the property of Virginmedia that is why we offer full technical support.

So it's only technically free then. you offer full technical support for the email too.

The modem is free too (and there's no conditions where it says that it remains the property of Virgin) it says on this page.
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/webs...uct.do?id=3264

what I'm saying is, is that just because they say the email is free. it doesn't mean it is when it's seen as part of a package. otherwise you could state everything was free.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Gary L

So it's only technically free then. you offer full technical support for the email too.

No only for supported email clients and webmail which again is in the terms and conditions.

Remember I work for them so I am much more likely to know what is actually supported and not supported by Virginmedia.

Please read the terms and conditions about Virginmedia products before posting about them.