"Apple tweaks iTunes following privacy concerns"

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Dan Updegrove <updegrove () mail utexas edu>
Date: January 18, 2006 6:13:59 PM EST
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: "Apple tweaks iTunes following privacy concerns"

Dave,

In response to privacy concerns raised January 11, " [IP] iTunes  
update spies on your listening and sends it to Apple?" CNET is  
reporting that Apple has changed the

By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: January 18, 2006, 9:08 AM PST
Last modified: January 18, 2006, 11:09 AM PST


Following a wave of privacy concerns last week, Apple Computer has  
begun prominently notifying customers about a new recommendation  
feature in its iTunes software, as well as spotlighting a simple way  
to turn it off.

The new feature, a "MiniStore" pane in the software, provides music  
recommendations to iTunes users based on the songs currently in the  
software's active playlist. To do so, it sends information about  
those songs back to Apple, even if the tracks weren't originally  
purchased from the iTunes Music Store.

The information exchange also includes a string of data linked to an  
iTunes customer's unique ID number, which is also used for other  
Apple accounts, such as the .Mac service and the Apple Developer  
Connection, computer experts found last week. An Apple representative  
said last week that the company did not store or archive any of the  
information from this MiniStore recommendation process.

Previously, that information exchange was not disclosed in any user  
agreement or in the software itself. However, an update posted late  
Tuesday now prominently adds a notification inside the iTunes  
software itself when the MiniStore is turned on for the first time.

... <http://news.com.com/Apple+tweaks+iTunes+following+privacy 
+concerns/2100-1027_3-6028085.html?tag=nefd.top>

Regards,
Dan

VP  for Information Technology          Phone (512) 232-9610
The University of Texas at Austin       Fax (512) 232-9607
FAC 248 (Mail code: G9800)              d.updegrove () its utexas edu
P.O. Box 7407                                   http:// 
web.austin.utexas.edu/dau2
Austin, TX 78713-7407


-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/