Can free email providers (like Gmail, yahoo, dango, hotmail etc.) have the right to/do they look at my emails?

Can free email providers (like Gmail, yahoo, dango, hotmail etc.) have the right to/do they look at my emails?





I thought they couldn't just look at my stuff, since it may contain confidential information, but someone told me different yesterday.





Just wondering what is the truth???


Additional Details








The only reason i am asking is because i am worried that passwords i have for internet website accounts (that get sent through email) will be stolen. I'm just worried about that??





I asked this a second time just in case people did not see my first one with the modifications

Can free email providers (like Gmail, yahoo, dango, hotmail etc.) have the right to/do they look at my emails?
Well





The answer is yes and no.





The service provide has the right to read any email that is sent. The key words is right. In actual truth they don't.


What happens is the email is scanned by a pc system when it is sent - no human intervention.





This system is designed to locate and pick up certain emails. This could be based on:





Location


Owner of account


Content of email i.e racist





If your emails passes it is sent.





It something is picked up it is scanned again - delayed.





If the system finds an email that breaks the pre recorder set messure the email can then be lawfully read by a human in confidnetiality to ensure the email is safe.





So I hope this helps:





99.9 % of emails are not read.





All the best





Moose
Reply:I prefer to think that email providers could "shiv a get" about stealing your internet site passwords. I suppose if they really wanted to AND had a vendetta they could but I don't think they're going to ruin their integrity and a very lucrative business by stealing passwords.





It's not worth their time or business.
Reply:You'll never know if they look at it unless you put some trackers in your email and try to catch them. hehe. Also, some freak from yahoo was arrested a few years back for doing something like stealing stuff from users' email accounts. Morons. You just have to trust that people will be honest. You trust stupid people with your credit card info everyday when you go to the store. Have a little trust. It makes life much less hectic.
Reply:The short answer is yes.





To prevent legal issues with the government, all public and private e-mail services tend to lend full co-operation with all law enforcement organizations.





But they have to have a really valid reason to waste time looking at Joe Average's records.





As far as passwords go, most of those are generated by the e-mail software and are not held in a way that any employee can access. Those tend to be safe unless you've used your e-mail to transmit that information.