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What are the security benefits gained by using FastMail over Google (in the context of a state-level eavesdropper)? Is it that FastMail is a smaller target? If you take all your centralized information from Google and move it over to FastMail, it's still centralized - what am I missing?

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From a government spying perspective, I'd say there's no benefit. Fastmail servers, at least for US customers are in the NYC area at nyi.net, iirc.

I imagine most customers (myself included) are using fastmail instead of Google to avoid Google, or similar, not to avoid the governments.

This is exactly why I switched to Fastmail. It isn't for the 'tinfoil hat' crowd, who already know to avoid any service with assets in the US. Some of us think having an advertising company handle our email no longer makes sense.

I think anyone looking for a third-party commercial email service free from government snooping is already off to a bad start.

Really the only thing is the local legal environment.

http://blog.fastmail.fm/2013/10/07/fastmails-servers-are-in-...

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