Government watchdogs are asking Google to disable its self destruct feature on government g-mail accounts. The feature allows users to send messages that vaporize after a set time period. Government workers could use the feature to destroy public records before reporters can obtain them. (MotherBoard, May 4, 2018, by Mack DeGeurin)
Google added the feature April 25 to allow users to protect confidential and sensitive content, but open government activists feared that the feature would thwart attempts to retrieve public records through freedom of information laws. Washington Examiner, May 5, 2018, by Daniel Chaitin)
In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Malcolm J. Leary of the National Freedom of Information Coalition said that while most states have record retention laws allowing access to how tax money is spent and to e-mail correspondence between government officials on policy, the laws falls short in not guaranteeing access to e-mails from individuals and companies to government agencies. Therein lies the potential for “astounding” abuse. (NFOIC, May 4, 2018)