Google is preparing to launch a search-based e-mail service. They are planning to call the service "Gmail" (not actually up yet).

There's a somewhat more detailed story on this at the New York Times' website (note that they require registration, and most of the "universal" IDs such as freethepresses no longer work). It's what the stories don't mention that worries me.

There is no mention of what Google plans to have as a Terms of Service agreement, or privacy policy. You'll be able to store up to a gigabyte of email and search it as though it were a well-indexed website. But what will keep others from searching and indexing your mail? And more to the point, even if Google does promise privacy, what guarantees will there be that any such promise would be upheld should they get acquired? After all, once they go public, they are just as much a target for acquisition as predators themselves.