Yahoo! Online Games Contain Spyware

An anonymous reader writes "I just noticed that yahoo.com is offering Civilization III for free, online. I figured it was too good to be true, so I actually read the EULA. Guess what, yahoo is now distributing spyware. The following is a cut and paste from their EULA: '5.Collection and Use of Registration and Usage Information. In connection with your use of the Applications on Demand Services, the installed software contains an application for the collection of data pertaining to your use of the Software and the operation of the Software. Furthermore, your Service Provider will collect data regarding what Applications you use, how long you use them and in which ways you use them (collectively, your "Usage Information"). You hereby give your consent to direct retrieval by Exent of the Usage Information collected by the Software and acknowledge that the Service Provider has agreed to provide the Usage Information gathered by it to Exent (without specifically identifying you). You agree that Exent may use your Usage Information by aggregating it with the Usage Information of other users of the Software to provide general statistics about the Applications on Demand Services as well as for purposes of making necessary adjustments and corrections in the Software as shall be deemed it by Exent at its sole discretion.'"

Comments

Just remember....

[Neck_of_the_Woods]

Nothing is free, you pay one way or the other. From now on, just assume your getting the big five finger when you sign up for anything free. Your choice.

No suprises

[infornogr]

If someone had asked me to guess whether or not Yahoo distributed spyware yesterday, I would say yes. It's pretty much expected that if any large company gives something away for free, its probably adware or spyware. Most people don't know they're getting spyware, worse, most people don't care, and worse yet, Yahoo knows this. The solution is simple: don't use software with such absurd EULAs.

firewall?

[Khopesh]

so what happens when people start blocking net access to these apps?
programs like Tiny and Zone Alarm can block access per program
(assuming they don't use bundled hooks like IE embedding).

seems better than the software-installation clauses in newer MS and java licenses.

Re:a Link

[Babbster]

Indeed. All I found was a program where you could get three days of Civ3 for $4.95. It seems like an attempt to provide rentals of video games without the fear of piracy that doing so in an offline privacy would engender, not to mention people who would simply rent the game and never return it.

I would note also that, with such a rental system, collecting data about people's playing of the rented game could be considered a necessity since there would have to be a way to shut it off after it had been played. There would also have to be a way to activate the start of the three-day rental after the download completed, since I don't think Yahoo would be so stupidly evil as to mark the time it takes to download the game against the customer's rental time.

In summary, the writer of the article is pretty dumb and the editor who posted it must be getting very sleepy. :)

At least it is in the EULA

[TamMan2000]

Isn't anyone else glad they put it in the EULA instead of trying to sneak it through?

That would really be spying, what they are doing now it more like buying your personal information with a game...

Re:Method to disable the spyware...

[XorNand]

I agree. I bought Civ 3 two days after it came out. It's a great game -- I still play it. I paid around $50 for it if I recall correctly.

Why is it so evil of Yahoo to expect something in return for offering a $50 game for free? The last of the standing .coms are tripping over themselves to try to find innovative ways to stay afloat. To me, this is much more desirable than flogging visitors with yet another popunder.