MailVault to sell of user mail, PGP keys (was: MailVault.com for auction (LFCity dissolution)]

[Trei, Peter]

> LFCFA[SMTP:webmaster at lfcfa.org] writes:
> 
> For seven years, the Laissez Faire City International Trust built and
> planned Laissez Faire City, the first sovereign international city
> domiciled in cyberspace. In 2002, Laissez Faire City closed its
> doors. Since then, important steps have been taken to bring the
> organization to a just and final dissolution. This week, we are
> taking one of the final steps in that process: to auction off
> remaining assets, both intellectual and physical property.
> 
> Among the properties available for public bidding is Mailvault(R),
> the first private, PGP-encrypted e-mail service on the Internet. The
> LFCIT supported and funded the Mailvault(R) service; as of April
> 2003, more than 5000 users take advantage of Mailvault's fast, easy,
> PGP-enabled service to keep their communications private.
> Mailvault(R) itself, as well as several other domain names, software
> projects and more, are all available for sale during this sale. We
> hope that this auction will help us settle accounts with our
> creditors, and find new homes for these projects.
> 
> The auction is available to the public at http://www.lfcfa.org
> starting now. Bids will be accepted on items or lots listed for sale,
> from now until Monday, May 5th 2003, at 5:00pm CST. Following an
> internal deliberation period, winners will be announced at the
> http://www.lfcfa.org web site on Friday evening, May 9th 2003.
> 
I took a peek at the items on sale. Of particular interest to privacy
buffs is Item U1 (see https://www.lfcfa.org/auction/prop.aspx)

	4.User Data 
	ITEM: U1
	Mailvault service user data
	DESCRIPTION: all manner of user data currently stored in the
	Mailvault system - this includes user accounts, stored mail, PGP
	keys.

If I were a Mailvault customer, I would find this perturbing.

Peter Trei
Disclaimer: My opinons! No one elses!