Is Data Stored in the Cloud Free from Prying Eyes?

 I chose this section because cloud computing and the risks and befits involved are something I am very interested in. I already know allot about cloud computing and raise that it has many benefits and risks that need to be considered. It seemed like a good choice for me to select the subject I knew well so the answers would come to me quickly. After reading the question I could tell this section would be easy for me to answer simply because of the experience I've had with both the US legal system, software companies, and Cloud storage and computing. I also figured since the information I'm typing right now is going to be stored on a cloud server for you to view this seemed appropriate.

 Data should be treated however the software license says it will be, so my answer is yes. When you click "I Agree" below that wall of text known as a software license you may be agreeing to let that company share your information publicly. But, if a company does, somehow violate the terms of the contract you agreed to then they should be subject to the same penalties a person would be for giving away personal information. If someone from outside the company in charge of the cloud somehow gets access to a persons personal information they should they should be subject to the same punishment as if someone were to illegally access someones home computer for the same information.

Yes, the government should be allowed to access information stored on a cloud, in the same way they can search your home with a warrant. Normally I would have had to think about this more, but since the police are required to have a warrant I really don't see any problem with the government access this information. The government can already gain access to your home and anything in it relevant to a crime, so if the police see a reason to search for something specific in your mail I see no reason they shouldn't be able to. I only have experience in a high school criminal justice class, but that has taught me enough to where I realize that search warrants should apply to anything that could help solve a crime, especially information you have most likely already agreed to share.

I don't store any information on a cloud that could possibly lead to any problems for me other than maybe a few personal emails that would only be slightly embarrassing, but I realize companies wont just share information just to embarrass me, so no problem for me there. But I will never trust any company to store my important personal information; credit card numbers, SSN, etc. Its not that I think these companies are trying to sell my information for profit or try to steal my money; I'm more worried about people finding ways to get into the cloud and steal my information. I never send anything that could be used against me via email, not even if I personally know and trust the person I would be sending it to. I keep my personal information in a hidden file deep in my computer and try to access that as rarely as I can. I never have and never will trust anyone other than myself with anything more important that my full name and address, and even then I only trust established companies that have more to loose, legally, than I do if my information is stolen.