--- title: "Google Is Hit With Another Blow to User Privacy: Here's What You Can Do" description: Google was ordered to disclose emails in foreign servers to FBI. New precedent impacts digital privacy. Learn how to secure Gmail. image: http://www.cloudmask.com/hubfs/googlewarrantuseable-1.png --- [![CloudMask - Data protection under breach](https://www.cloudmask.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Horizontal-larger-text.png?width=223&height=40&name=Horizontal-larger-text.png "CloudMask - Data protection under breach")](https://www.cloudmask.com) - [For Business](https://www.cloudmask.com/business) - [For Enterprise](https://www.cloudmask.com/enterprise) - [For Developers](https://www.cloudmask.com/saas-developers) - Resources - [Blog](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog) - [Videos](https://www.cloudmask.com/videos) - [Help](http://help.cloudmask.com) # Google Is Hit With Another Blow to User Privacy: Here's What You Can Do ![Google foreign servers](http://www.cloudmask.com/hs-fs/hubfs/googlewarrantuseable-1.png?width=464&name=googlewarrantuseable-1.png "Google foreign servers") February 3, 2017, US Magistrate Judge Thomas Rueter ruled that Google must provide emails stored overseas to US authorities for domestic investigations. On August 2016, courts issued two search warrants, which required Google to disclose, to the FBI, electronic data held in the accounts of the two accused of fraud in violation of federal law. Google only provided data stored on its US servers, based on *[Microsoft Corp v. USA](https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2993612/Microsoft-ca2-20160714.pdf)* defense.   Google regularly [transfers user data from one data center to another](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2017/02/Opinion.pdf), on a global scale, to optimize for performance, reliability and other efficiencies. Prior to this ruling, emails stored in foreign servers were beyond the jurisdiction of American authorities. Google plans to appeal this decision, on the basis that “this case departed from precedent”. Google receives [25,000 annual requests](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/06/google-gmail-to-appeal-against-order-to-hand-over-user-emails-stored-outside-us) for user data from US authorities. Intelligence agencies continue to apply pressure on service and cloud providers to cooperate in mass surveillance. The Counteraction CloudMask intercepts and [masks](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/encryption/mitigating-data-breach-with-data-masking) your data before handing it over to Google, without disrupting the performance of the application (Gmail or Drive). Google receives only meaningless data. **Only** you and the parties you explicitly trust can access your data in clear: 26 leading cyber security agencies [validate](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/security-certifications-what-are-the-differences) these claims. In the case of national security letters, Google can only disclose the random tokens that have replaced your sensitive data. ![Gif Animation All.gif](https://www.cloudmask.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GIF_Animation/Gif%20Animation%20All.gif?width=640&name=Gif%20Animation%20All.gif) #### *With CloudMask, only your authorized parties can decrypt and see your data. Not hackers with your valid password, Not Cloud Providers, Not Government Agencies, and Not even CloudMask can see your protected data. [Twenty-six government cybersecurity ](https://www.commoncriteriaportal.org/)agencies around the world [back these claims.](https://www.cloudmask.com/hubfs/CloudMask_Aug2016/pdf/Common_Criteria_Cert.pdf?t=1486380970425)* ***[![TRY IT NOW](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/468512/82253abc-9465-4974-b5ea-2a46f934181b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/468512/82253abc-9465-4974-b5ea-2a46f934181b)*** Watch our video and demo at [www.vimeo.com/cloudmask](http://www.vimeo.com/cloudmask)    Share this article: - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Related posts [![How to evaluate and select the best encryption services](https://www.cloudmask.com/hubfs/Lock_01.jpg)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/how-to-evaluate-and-select-the-best-encryption-services) [How to evaluate and select the best encryption services](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/how-to-evaluate-and-select-the-best-encryption-services) March 12, 2018 [![The Myth of “Staying One Step Ahead of the Hackers”](https://www.cloudmask.com/hubfs/Hacker%20one%20step.png)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/the-myth-of-staying-one-step-ahead-of-the-hackers) [The Myth of “Staying One Step Ahead of the Hackers”](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/the-myth-of-staying-one-step-ahead-of-the-hackers) March 08, 2018 [![Why Defense In Depth Is Not Good Enough](https://www.cloudmask.com/hubfs/defense%20in%20depth.jpg)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/why-defense-in-depth-is-not-good-enough) [Why Defense In Depth Is Not Good Enough](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/why-defense-in-depth-is-not-good-enough) March 02, 2018 [![The Encryption That Businesses Need, But CISOs Forget About](https://www.cloudmask.com/hubfs/Key%20-%202%20heads%20Depositphotos_24641695_original.jpg)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/the-encryption-that-businesses-need-but-cisos-forget-about) [The Encryption That Businesses Need, But CISOs Forget About](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/the-encryption-that-businesses-need-but-cisos-forget-about) September 19, 2017 [![Why Your Data Security Strategy Should Include Data Masking](https://www.cloudmask.com/hs-fs/hub/468512/file-2584554648.jpg)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/why-your-data-security-strategy-should-include-data-masking) [Why Your Data Security Strategy Should Include Data Masking](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/why-your-data-security-strategy-should-include-data-masking) September 19, 2017 [![If everybody could read your email, are you secure?](https://www.cloudmask.com/hubfs/brafton_images/-Despite-corporations-investing-heavily-in-data-protection-small-errors-can-have-big-consequences-and-a-lack-of-email-encryption-will-certainly-le.jpg)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/if-everybody-could-read-your-email-are-you-secure) [If everybody could read your email, are you secure?](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/if-everybody-could-read-your-email-are-you-secure) August 14, 2017 Please enable JavaScript to view the <a href="http://disqus.com/?ref\_noscript">comments powered by Disqus.</a> ### Sign Up for our Newsletter to get the latest in everything cyber security. We care about your privacy, let us show you how. ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [Breach (29)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/breach) - [Certifcation (3)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/certifcation) - [cloud computing (7)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/cloud-computing) - [Cloud threats (6)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/cloud-threats) - [Common Criteria (2)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/common-criteria) - [Compliance (18)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/compliance) - [costs (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/costs) - [cyber threats (22)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/cyber-threats) - [Cybercrime (6)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/cybercrime) - [data centric protection (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/data-centric-protection) - [Data Masking (25)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/data-masking) - [data privacy (28)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/data-privacy) - [data residency (4)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/data-residency) - [data security (9)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/data-security) - [Data Sovereignty (8)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/data-sovereignty) - [defense in depth (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/defense-in-depth) - [Email Security (5)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/email-security) - [encryption (8)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/encryption) - [financial (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/financial) - [Google (5)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/google) - [governance (3)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/governance) - [Government surveillance (13)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/government-surveillance) - [hacking (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/hacking) - [Healthcare (2)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/healthcare) - [insider threats (3)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/insider-threats) - [Legal (6)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/legal) - [New Security Paradigm (6)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/new-security-paradigm) - [Password (4)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/password) - [Personal Data Protection (17)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/personal-data-protection) - [PKI (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/pki) - [Regulation (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/regulation) - [RSA2017 (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/rsa2017) - [Shadow it (1)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/shadow-it) - [Tokenization (3)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/tokenization) - [User Privacy (10)](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/topic/user-privacy) see all - [About Us](https://www.cloudmask.com/about) - [Pricing & Plans](https://www.cloudmask.com/subscription-plans/) - [Partners](https://www.cloudmask.com/about/cloud-partners/) - [Get in touch with us](https://www.cloudmask.com/contact-us) **CloudMask Inc.** +[1 (819) 282-1501](tel:1%20(819)%20282-1501)[+1 (866) 202-4443](tel:1-866-202-4443) - What We Protect - [For Business Users](https://www.cloudmask.com/business) - [For Enterprise](https://www.cloudmask.com/enterprise) - [For Developers](https://www.cloudmask.com/saas-developers) - Who We Help - [Legal](https://www.cloudmask.com/e2ee-for-legal-sector) - [Financial](https://www.cloudmask.com/e2ee-for-financial) - [Healthcare](https://www.cloudmask.com/e2ee-for-healthcare) - [Education](https://www.cloudmask.com/e2ee-for-education) - Resources - [Help & Support](http://help.cloudmask.com) - [Blogs](https://www.cloudmask.com/blog) - [News](https://www.cloudmask.com/news) - [Videos](https://www.cloudmask.com/videos) [![Cloudmask](https://www.cloudmask.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CloudMask_Aug2016/CM-Logo-200-50.png?width=200&height=50&name=CM-Logo-200-50.png "Cloudmask")](https://www.cloudmask.com/) © 2012-2017 CloudMask All Rights Reserved