Google shows you where your e-mail goes in the Story of Send

E-mail has become a mainstream form of communication, and sending and receiving an e-mail is seamless and so quick, that we don't even think about how a message gets from point A to point B. Google has launched a website called The Story of Send, which essentially shows you how an e-mail gets from say, your smartphone to the recipient's computer and vice-versa. The idea behind the Story of Send is to show you how your virtual information makes its way through the real world - from your computer, to your Internet service provider, to Google's data centers and steps beyond that, till it gets to the recipient. The Story of Send does this by having you press "Send", as if you're sending an e-mail, and taking you through every step, explaining what happens in each step. 

As you go through the various steps that an e-mail goes through, you'll also see extras like photos and videos. Many of these include how Google's data centers, particularly the big one in Finland, are kept eco-friendly. Google explains how they regulate temperatures in the server rooms as well as how their employees wear shorts to work to explain how they stay in a green place and are comfortable to work. Other videos show you how Google protects your data. From physical protection like the various checkpoints employees have to go through to get to work to encryption, Google attempts to show you how your data is staying only in their hands. Other snippets, include how Google filters spam from your regular mail. And if you see all the stages, you might also find a vampire or two lurking around.

An e-mail enters the data center

Earlier this year, Google announced a consolidated privacy policy from what they said was 60 different privacy policies. With the new privacy policy, when a Google user is logged in to Google through any account, be it Gmail. YouTube or Google+, the new online Privacy Policy makes it clear that they may use information from any of their Google accounts in their other services. So for instance, Google will recommend cooking videos to you in YouTube if you have many cooking related emails in Gmail.

Commenting on the matter, Google said, "We remain committed to data liberation, so if you want to take your information elsewhere you can. We don’t sell your personal information, nor do we share it externally without your permission except in very limited circumstances like a valid court order." Have you watched the Story of Send yet? Do you think how Google talks about the privacy and security of your -mail fits with their privacy policy? Let us know in the comments section below.