GMail Anti-Virus Service Inspires Complaints

1:51 am on December 3, 2005 | Category: Email, Web Services

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Google has recently added an anti-virus feature to its popular web-based email service, Gmail. This brings Google’s service to the same level of security as major competitors such as Yahoo and MSN Hotmail.

Although the service has so far proven very effective, complaints have still surfaced from some users. One problem with the service is that it is impossible to turn off. This isn’t a problem for most email users, but it can be somewhat difficult for those who’s work require them to handle and report viruses, worms, and other infected files.

The new service also upholds GMail’s long-held policy of uniformly blocking all executable (exe) files. This is again, an effective safety measure, but it can be very inconvenient for some users.

Another complaint against the new program is that Google won’t reveal what company is responsible for creating it. The general sentiment among users is that they have a right to know what company’s technology is being used to filter their email.

Most Gmail customers seem to agree that some for of virus prevention software is a good thing to have, but the way that it is being carried out is being perceived as too authoritative and secrative. To achieve a higher customer satisfaction rate, Google will likely have to relax some of their policies surrounding this service.

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    1. So I am unable to turn my gmail anti-virus protection off and on…that’s a shame. So I don’t know which company manufactured the anti-virus program utilized by the gmail program…that’s another shame. As for those whose work requires them to handle and report viruses…I wonder whose anti-virus program they used prior to gmail’s existance. Another shame. Too authorative and secretive? Can you document that “most” gmail customers feel that way?

      If the anti-virus meets my need, why should I worry? I don’t care from whence it came. If gmail can not protect me when I handle viruses (I wonder how many users that affects) then I’ll find a service that can. I would imagine that the two Google competitors mentioned in the first paragraph would be glad to have you use their service, especially since the author mentions that Google is now on the same level of security. Now THAT is NOT a shame, is it?

      Regards.

      Comment by John Creed — December 3, 2005 #

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    Edited by Jeremy Maddock