FC: Mailblocks changes privacy policy, won't spam customers

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

My understanding from a fellow journalist who spoke to the company 
yesterday is that Mailblocks accidentally placed an old placeholder version 
of their
privacy policy when they put the new site up yesterday. They planned to fix 
it Monday evening, and apparently they have.

Previous Politech message:

"Will new 'spam reduction' service result in... more spam?"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-04580.html

-Declan

---

Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 00:59:56 -0700 (MST)
From: Ray Finch <babylon () swcp com>
To: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
Subject: Re: FC: Will new "spam reduction" service result in... more spam?

Declan,

Hi.

Although I don't use the Mailblocks service nor am I associated with it in
any way, I thought I would point out some descrepencies.

Mr. Maus's e-mail is dated March 24th.  Mailblockes Privacy Policy (at
https://app1.mailblocks.com/register.htm, then click on "privacy policy
here") is dated March 17 - a good six days earlier..

None of the paragraphs about the Privacy Policy or TOS in your last
posting match anything in the Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service
currently on the Mailblocks web site with the possible expection of the
following paragraph:

  "Subject to applicable law, we reserve the right to release information
   concerning any visitor or member when that visitor or member is in
   violation of our Terms of Service or other published guidelines, is
   partaking (or is reasonably suspected of partaking) in any illegal
   activity, in response to civil subpoenas and discovery requests, to
   protect the interests of Mailblocks, our members or others, and as
   otherwise permitted or required by law."

Which looks like an edited version of of the paragraph in your last
posting that talked about releasing personal information to third parties.

Perhaps the Mailblaocks people read your posting and "updated" their
Privacy Policy and TOS agreements (and didn't bother to update the "Last
revised" section), I don't know.  One thing is for sure, although I
wouldn't use Mailblocks service, the poisting you just put up does not
match what is currently on the Mailblocks website.

Regards,


Ray Finch

---

Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:32:39 -0800
To: declan () well com
From: Kevin Murphy <kevin.murphy () computerwire com>
Subject: Re: FC: Will new "spam reduction" service result in... more
  spam?

http://www.mailblocks.com/helplet/privacy-policy.htm

It's now been subtly changed.





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