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Goldman Sachs Demands Google Unsend One of Its E-mails

Posted by timothy on from the need-to-turn-on-google-labs-for-unsend dept.

rudy_wayne (414635) writes A Goldman Sachs contractor was testing internal changes made to Goldman Sachs system and prepared a report with sensitive client information, including details on brokerage accounts. The report was accidentally e-mailed to a 'gmail.com' address rather than the correct 'gs.com' address. Google told Goldman Sachs on June 26 that it couldn't just reach into Gmail and delete the e-mail without a court order. Goldman Sachs filed with the New York Supreme Court, requesting "emergency relief" to avoid a privacy violation and "avoid the risk of unnecessary reputational damage to Goldman Sachs."

3 of 346 comments (clear)

  1. How the fuck? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    How the fuck did they reach anyone at Google to get that response?!

  2. Re:Minor inconvenience by Somebody+Is+Using+My · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As disturbing is that the threat of "reputational damage" is enough to get a court on your side.

    The United States government should not be helping people or business protect their reputation from their own mistakes. It opens a floodgate to potential abuses. This request should have been laughed out of court. "You screwed up, bub; you deal with the consequences."

    I can see this ruling being used as a precedent in many future law cases.

  3. Unsending E-mail by DERoss · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The ancient Roman Horace (65-8 bce) said: "Once a word has been allowed to escape, it cannot be recalled."

    More recently, Omar, the Tentmaker (died ca 1123 ce) said:
    "The moving finger writes; and, having writ,
    Moves on: nor all your Piety or Wit
    Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
    Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it."