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SBC-Yahoo Partnership Cuts User Privacy

Posted by michael on from the yahoo-knows-you're-a-dog dept.

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.

2 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. Michael's right by gamgee5273 · · Score: 2, Troll

    Before everyone goes jumping all over SBC and Yahoo (trust me - I'm not an apologist for either of them), michael is right - the reporter did a really poor job looking into why Yahoo might need a user's Social Security number or info about their assets. It's akin to asking why someone needs your street address when they want to send you something you've ordered (oh, wait, Bezos is trying the patent that, isn't he? ;).

  2. Slashdot Editors by Yankovic · · Score: 2, Troll

    michael's behavior continues to astound. If MS had done something even remotely similar to this, he would have launched into them with a tirade that would still be going on, yet, here, he equivocates for Yahoo. I realize this is not much of a surprise to some, but it still amazes me how utterly biased the slashdot editors are.

    ObTopic: Generally, i think the EULA game is just a giant CYA exercise. Companies absolutely have to do this kind of stuff because you never know how you're going to get sued. MS had to word the EULA that way because thhe web-updates would download and install only IF you gave the auto-updater the chance to do so. Yahoo, similarly, IS exchanging financial info, and has to be restrictive. EULAs are EULAs. If you don't like them, don't play.