Slashdot Mirror
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.
Moderators: don't waste karma modding this post up. I'm just building upon the comments aside my own post. (save the karma for the Score:1 postings and the occasional jewel AC post). Personally, I suspect most Karma whoring here is done to build up points for troll-building. Because of the filtering Slashdot attempts to use to PREVENT this, it has the net effect of NEVER selecting capped karma folks like myself (I post 2x a week and that's not enough stupidity to get knocked off my Karma cap).
forgot to mention, in my unruly haste to cram that second not-logged-in post out the door, that this post was brought you by p00p. Uh huh oh yeah! Been p00ping since time outta mind baby. Dig it.
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightningbolt!
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? ;).
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.
thanks for modding it down dickface!! I was pointing out a typo....stupid asshole