Yahoo the spammer
CNET has this story on Yahoo updating their privacy policy. The policy now makes explicit that they'll release info due to a subpoena (OK, fine), an acquisition or merger (yeah, sure), or if they believe it's necessary to investigate or prevent a crime (umm... according to whom? any government agency that asks? domestic or foreign? non-governmental organizations?). The thing that'll likely affect more people going forward, though: they may create new 'marketing categories' for the spam they'll send you at any time, to which you're automatically subscribed. But don't worry, you can go into your account preferences and opt out at any time. How convenient.
And what I don't see any reference to on Yahoo: they've already done this. If you have a Yahoo ID, you've been signed up for 13 different kinds of spam. According to the CNET story, they're emailing everyone about this, which they expect to take weeks, and the story implies they won't start spamming for 60 days. Beat the rush and opt out now.
And I've got to share this lovely bit from the privacy policy: "by interacting with or viewing an ad you are consenting to the possibility that the advertiser will make the assumption that you meet the targeting criteria used to display the ad. "
"by interacting with or viewing an ad you are consenting to the possibility that the advertiser will make the assumption that you meet the targeting criteria used to display the ad."
I think I understand where this is coming from. They're saying that if you lied on your signup form, and the advert doesn't/can't apply to you, then it's not the advertisers fault.
If you said you were 31 and your 6 year old daughter views a yahoo group signed on as you, it's your fault that she saw the advert for "Hot Teen Sex".
But, it's still written in the absurdest, most equivocal language... "You agree that there is a chance that someone might assume that you are in the group of people that they think you are in".
Why not just say "Advertisers are going to assume that you are who they think you are."
How they can get you to consent to something by viewing something else I don't know.
"By reading this comment you agree that I own your soul."
Thanks,
Z.
Posted by Zwack on March 29 2002 14:23
=v= There is indeed the implication that no spam will start for 60 days, but no actual promises were made. I sent an alert and how-to-opt-out message to all my friends @yahoo.com, and many of them said that a deluge of spam had already started at these addresses, which had previously been spam-free. It *could* be a coincidence ...
=v= The word "updated" is next to the Privacy Policy link at the bottom of www.yahoo.com, but this does not appear on any of the mail.yahoo.com, my.yahoo.com, or other pages that Yahoo users would actually make use of.
Posted by Jym on March 30 2002 23:58
There's even more absurdity to the consent clause -- the advertisers' assumptions about you began long before you ever had the opportunity to view the ad. I say we get the American Physical Society on their ass for causality violations. And it's ludicrous to thrust responsibility upon someone for the assumptions of total strangers who've never even heard of him or her.
I don't think people having lied in their personal information is a concern of theirs. I think they just want a stock response that covers any case of a person being offended by an ad. "Hey, you looked at it, you consented retroactively to the advertiser having considered you its target audience."
Another interesting thing about the clause is that it would seem to invite users to use ad-blockers. If we don't consent to this assumption, then we have to choose to not view or interact with the ads, right?
Posted by Zed on March 31 2002 10:24
I LOVE U
Posted by jonifoster on October 5 2002 02:29