Tivo Tracks Superbowl Viewing Habits

ThePretender writes "Sprinkled in the Janet Jackson boob stories is an alarming bit of information: Tivo tracks subscribers' viewing habits. They know how many times the boob was viewed, among other good-to-have (meaning data worth $$) information. Yes, if you agreed to Tivo's privacy policy you knew they could do this, with the promise that you aren't identifiable. Put on the tin foil hats? Or just another way for them to keep your monthly fee down (snicker)." A story from 2002 has more information and makes clear that Tivo does have the capability to record every click you make on the remote control, at all times. Previously Tivo said they tracked 10,000 people for the Super Bowl, this year 20,000.

Comments

Is there a privacy issue?

[glinden]

If TiVo is only passing along aggregated, anonymized data on user behavior, is there a privacy issue? From the article:

• Privacy advocates have decried such technologies as invasive, but TiVo officials say they do not pass along information that would identify individual viewers.

While it's true that TiVo needs to collect "every click" as the first part of compiling this aggregate data, if the final data is just summarized habits of TiVo users with no individual information, is there a privacy issue?

Re:Is there a privacy issue?

[theguru]

I'm glad Tivo logs what I watch, and presumably sells the rolled up info to marketing types. In fact, we should all be glad for this! The next time our favorite show is about to be canceled, just remember, they would have known you were watching if you had been using a Tivo.

I watch a lot of obscure shows on cable. I'm glad the people who decide if they want to renew those shows have an additional source of information than the traditional Neilson family to know if people are watching.

Two questions though: Couldn't my cable company do the same thing with my digital cable box?

Are the Tivo watching habits really worth anything. Right now, as I sit here at work typing this message, my Tivo is on. It has no idea if the power to the TV is on or off though. It THINKS the digital cable box is on channel X, but I could have turned it or the TV off, or changed the digital box with a different remote. Does Tivo try to guess if I'm really watching the show on channel X right now by seeing how long it's been since I changed the channel/paused/used rewind/etc? I'm sure there are times when I spend several hours on a single channel and don't press any Tivo remote buttons.

MoveOn.org's Boycott

[limekiller4]

Some of you may have heard that CBS refused to air the winning MoveOn.org's " Bush in 30 Seconds " ad. Just prior to the Superbowl, MoveOn.org asked their subscribers/readers to boycott CBS by switching from CBS during the commercials to CNN, who were airing their 30-second spot.

Presumably, Tivo knows precisely how many people actually went through with it.

"accounts of the game" prohibited?

[donutz]

The entire "sports copyright notice" required by the league is unneeded.... current copyright law doesn't even require "Copyright 2004" to be displayed. Everything gets full copyright protection the moment it is created by default, no action is needed.

This part I have no problem with. What I have a problem with is the fact that they not only claim copyright to the telecast, but that even "accounts of the game" are prohibited.

I guess if I watched the game on TV, they could hold me liable for copyright infringement (my account is a derived work of their telecast?).

But what if I'm at the game? Can I go home and give an account of the game without getting attacked by legions of rabid lawyers?