E-mail tracker firm sparks fears over internet security
By Simon English in New York (Filed: 24/05/2004)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...24/ixcity.html

The days of pretending you just didn't get that e-mail you ignored could be over. Today, a company called DidTheyReadIt.com offers customers the chance to track every e-mail they send.

By signing up, you'll be able to see when an e-mail was opened, how long it was looked at, if it was read more than once, and if it was forwarded to anyone else.

Inevitably, the service has already attracted the accusation that it is compromising the privacy of internet users. Rampell Software, the Massachusetts firm behind the website, admits there are "legitimate uses and stealth uses" for its product, but insists its intentions are good.

It points out that many businessmen share important information via e-mail that they must be sure the recipients have seen. Anxious mothers trying to track down errant offspring can be reassured that their children are alive, even if they are not responding to messages. Job seekers will at least know if an employer read an application letter sent by e-mail, even if they didn't get the position.

DidTheyReadIt is invisible to recipients, hence the concern from privacy experts. Next time you pass over an old friend, annoying relative or tedious business contact, be aware that they might know for sure you've ignored them.

A company spokesman said: "We are not naive. Private investigation has been a profession for thousands of years and will be for thousands more."