Privacy lawsuit over Gmail will move forward

Thanks to a judge's order, Google must face another proposed class-action lawsuit over its scanning of Gmail. The issue is a lingering headache for the search giant, which has faced allegations for years now that scanning Gmail in order to create personalized ads violates US wiretapping laws.

In a 38-page order (PDF), US District Judge Lucy Koh rejected Google's argument that the scanning takes place within the "ordinary course of business." "Not every practice that is routine or legitimate will fall within the scope of the 'ordinary course of business'," Judge Koh wrote.