Outlook

It's no secret that Microsoft's at war with Google when it comes to email. Redmond has continuously attacked Google for crawling through emails that are believed to be private to provide better targeted advertisements to consumers. Microsoft has launched Keep Your Email Private, a new campaign to fight Google regarding this very concern. Do you use Gmail and/or are concerned about activities carried out by the Search? Read on past the break.

We've previously seen Microsoft release videos featuring the Gmail Man. This fictional character went through the mail of others while delivering them, causing unrest and concern. The idea was to illustrate exactly what Google does with email. 

GMail Cat Advert
But targeted advertising using keywords doesn't always work...

So what's Microsoft doing with the campaign? A brand new website is available (www.keepyouremailprivate.com - catchy, we know) with information on exactly what Redmond is doing to help consumers out by having them switch to Outlook (there's an awesome tutorial on how to achieve this on our forum) and sign a petition to bring this issue to the attention of Google.

"Google goes through every Gmail that's sent or received, looking for keywords so they can target Gmail users with paid ads. And there's no way to opt out of this invasion of your privacy."

There's a handy facts page to check out articles in reputable publications and to compare both Gmail and Outlook. Microsoft also provides a link to both its own and Google's privacy policies, as well as stating a rather interesting fact: simply because you don't use Gmail doesn't mean your emails remain private. If you've sent an email to someone who uses Google's email service, that message too may have been scanned. Some food for thought.

Head on over to Microsoft's Keep Your Email Private website for more details, some videos and links to get involved. Let us know in the comments if you've been affected by the issue and switched to Outlook (or another provider).