Google’s Blocking an Email Because Goldman Sachs Asked It To

Google is blocking a Gmail user from accessing a confidential message that was accidentally sent by a Goldman Sachs contractor, a Goldman spokesperson told Reuters Wednesday. The email, which contained privileged client information, was sent to a “@gmail.com” address instead of “@gs.com.”

The email snafu, which occurred on June 23, may have resulted in a “needless and massive” breach of privacy, Goldman told Reuters, leading the company to ask Google to block the message. A Goldman spokeswoman said Google complied with the investment bank’s request.

The e-mail, however, has not been deleted, an act which would require a court order, according to Google’s “incident response team.” Goldman accordingly filed a complaint on Friday in a New York state court in Manhattan.

“Emergency relief is necessary to avoid the risk of inflicting a needless and massive privacy violation upon Goldman Sachs’ clients, and to avoid the risk of unnecessary reputational damage to Goldman Sachs,” the financial firm stated in the court documents.

The contractor had been testing changes to the bank’s internal processes, Goldman said. The bank did not confirm how many clients were affected.

[Reuters]