Plans by Ryerson University to outsource its e-mail services to a private company have some concerned about privacy and security, the Toronto Star reports. Ryerson plans to use Google Apps Education Edition system, a move similar to that of Lakehead University in 2006, which prompted that university's faculty union to file a grievance that their privacy and academic freedom were infringed upon. Since Google is a U.S. company, the U.S. government could potentially require Google to provide access to such data under the USA PATRIOT Act, the report states. The grievance was dismissed with the arbitrator saying e-mails should be considered as confidential as postcards. 
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