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SBC-Yahoo Partnership Cuts User Privacy
simeonbeta2 writes "The San Francisco Chronicle is running a story about Pac Bell's dsl partnership with Yahoo. Initially touted as a new service, Pac Bell is apparently now mailing existing dsl customers to urge them to install additional client software that will enable 'incredible new features and services'. While SBC's privacy policy is not excessively intrusive, use of the new software is covered by Yahoo's privacy policy, which is just a bit more Orwellian." The story's a little overblown - Yahoo's privacy policy reads that way because they offer financial services and the like, where they may well need financial information from you to provide the service. The reporter needed to investigate this new software DSL users are being asked to install, and find out what sort of user tracking it enables.
when Prodigy was bought out by SBC. They went on and on about no changes, same service, etc. Then I started getting almost weekly mails with cd's in nice bright colorful cases urging me to install my new SBC Yahoo! Dial software to enable new worlds of features! Of course I didn't because I just kept my Prodigy account around for the old email address and never dialed in, so what was the point of installing new software?
;) There's something to be said for smaller ISP's...
Finally they started bombarding me with emails that extolled the virtues of the new software. My guess is when you install it then it checks you off on the master list on the server that you installed it, nevermind if you never needed to or didn't care at all. Finally after trying to register on the web site and failing miserably, I just called and cancelled the account. And ya know what? My spam amount is down 95% since then
"Christ what a design! I could eat a handful of iron filings and PUKE a better emergency pump than that!"
I have SBC DSL and haven't installed any of their software. I am just using a Lynksys router. I would never install any of their software.
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I was involved in a DSL project in Japan that used a piece of third-party software that was, essentially, a program that would examine your system and create a file that contained things like OS, Memory, CPU, Disk Size, monitor type, and anything else like this that it could find out.
This file was supposed to sit there until the DSL provider requested it behind the scenes. The purpose? Database Marketing. By knowing how old your system is, they can target you for new system sales. By knowing how small your monitor is, they can target you for sale of a bigger one. And so on.
I left before I heard about successful launch. So I don't know if it ever went live. But do _NOT_ for one minute believe that there is "nothing to this kind of report." I've seen it. I can't say for sure that this is, in fact, what the Yahoo!DSL in the US is up to, but let's say it would not surprise me.
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"...its up to the users of the dsl service...[]...to read the policies of the company."
Uh, not exactly. I have had SBC DSL for just over a year now, previously it was speakeasy - before that northpoint/covad.
I moved to PacBell DSL when they installed a CO across the street from my house, and they offered higher speeds off their new equipment than whatever speakeasy DSL equipment my line was previously provisioned on....
anyway - I also happen to have and use a yahoo email account. I have had this email account since 1996 or 1997.
I am now seeing a redirection to a FULL SCREEN advertisment from SBC & Yahoo when I log into my account from my home machine.
Basically they check the IP thats logging into the yahoo account - and if its an SBC provisioned IP - they first redirect you to this AD. It sucks.
Yes you can close the AD pretty quickly, but its still bugs me for many many reasons here are some:
1) I never signed up for Yahoo/SBC DSL. So I dont want the ads that people who signed up for this package are subjected to. *Especially* since they signed up at a lower rate than I pay because of the promotion. If they are going to show me these ADs I should pay the same as the Yahoo/SBC DSL subscribers.
2) My account on both SBC/PacBell DSL and Yahoo Mail PREDATES any of these policies - and in some cases predates the *existance* of SBC-PacBell as a merged company. I agreed to certain things when i signed up years ago for Yahoo, but apparently since the laws are so fucked up - if you agree to a contract these days - you also agree that the other party can make any changes, any time for any reason to any part of the contract you agree to - and you are not required to re-examine any terms and re-agree to anything. That's bull shit.
3) There is no switch for me to turn this option off - I wasnt asked if I wanted it - I cant "opt-out". The way I feel is that I should show up to their offices and hit them in the face with a shovel. They didnt opt-out of the shovel in the face program I run.
4) It is pretty much fact that this type of forced marketing doesnt work too well. Show me any users who actually read the ad - and show me the click-through numbers on these ads. Show me the *actual* conversion ratio. I'd bet its not even enough to make the whole effort worth while.
Basically, I would like to see the Yahoo agreement I entered into way back in 1997. I also want to see the SBC agreement I entered from last year - and I want to see if they allow for this sort of thing. I doubt that in '97 the agreement I actually clicked "I Agree" on says that I agree to bend over and get fucked in the ass by any affilate Yahoo ever decides to every do any sort of marketing arangement with.
so its not as simple as saying "its up to the user to read the policies that they agree to with any company"