A US online privacy group called Privacy Foundation have discovered a method by inserting a few lines of Javascript into any e-mail which will allow access into peoples messages without them knowing about it.

This code could be used by companies intending to gather e-mail addresses or by employers who want to find out what their employees are saying. If any message is received by the Javascript-enabled client, any reply will be forwarded to the original sender, meaning that any messages sent to others is automatically copied and sent to the originator.

Even if Javascript was turned off, if the message happened to be sent elsewhere where it had not turned off the feature, the e-mail tap would simply start working again.

The hidden computer code will only not work as long as Javascript is disabled in their e-mail software and both Microsoft and Netscape have been informed, with Microsoft already having produced a downloadable software patch for Outlook, even though it was intended for another security issue, it will also resolve this wiretap problem as well.