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Yahoo! Online Games Contain Spyware 48
An anonymous reader writes "I just noticed that yahoo.com is offering Civilization III for free, online. I figured it was too good to be true, so I actually read the EULA. Guess what, yahoo is now distributing spyware. The following is a cut and paste from their EULA: '5.Collection and Use of Registration and Usage Information. In connection with your use of the Applications on Demand Services, the installed software contains an application for the collection of data pertaining to your use of the Software and the operation of the Software. Furthermore, your Service Provider will collect data regarding what Applications you use, how long you use them and in which ways you use them (collectively, your "Usage Information"). You hereby give your consent to direct retrieval by Exent of the Usage Information collected by the Software and acknowledge that the Service Provider has agreed to provide the Usage Information gathered by it to Exent (without specifically identifying you). You agree that Exent may use your Usage Information by aggregating it with the Usage Information of other users of the Software to provide general statistics about the Applications on Demand Services as well as for purposes of making necessary adjustments and corrections in the Software as shall be deemed it by Exent at its sole discretion.'"
ummm.... (Score:1)
Just remember.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Nothing is free, you pay one way or the other. From now on, just assume your getting the big five finger when you sign up for anything free. Your choice.
Re:Just remember.... (Score:1)
Method to disable the spyware... (Score:5, Funny)
Go to a store and purchase the software.
Re:Method to disable the spyware... (Score:1)
Do you have a method of detecting spyware without reading through and interpreting acres of EULA?
Re:Method to disable the spyware... (Score:3, Insightful)
I agree. I bought Civ 3 two days after it came out. It's a great game -- I still play it. I paid around $50 for it if I recall correctly.
Why is it so evil of Yahoo to expect something in return for offering a $50 game for free? The last of the standing
Re:Bullshit. (Score:1)
Re:Bullshit. (Score:2)
Yeah, and the EULA seems to indicate they can log your use of any programs, not just theirs...
Re:Bullshit. (Score:4, Interesting)
This is not limited to the games you download. If you see nothing wrong with this, then you need a new monitor.
Morons yourself.
Re:Bullshit. (Score:3, Interesting)
No suprises (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:No suprises (Score:1)
I can understand how people don't like the information being collected without their explicit permission, but WHY do people refuse to give this permission? What are they afraid of?
Regards, Guspaz.
Not 100% true? (Score:5, Interesting)
I expect that the presence/absence of the clause depends on how interesting you are.
I am, presumably, very boring and Yahoo doesn't care to know what I do. You must be either interesting or suspicious since Yahoo decided that they want to track you.
Re:Not 100% true? (Score:1)
Re:Not 100% true? (Score:3, Interesting)
firewall? (Score:5, Insightful)
programs like Tiny and Zone Alarm can block access per program
(assuming they don't use bundled hooks like IE embedding).
seems better than the software-installation clauses in newer MS and java licenses.
Re:firewall? (Score:1)
Re:firewall? (Score:1)
Just my 0.02
Re:firewall? (Score:2)
(assuming they don't use bundled hooks like IE embedding)
IE is #1 on the list of programs I told Zone Alarm to deny access to the internet. Chuckle.
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Time for a law (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Time for a law (Score:2)
Just make it long and wordy, and the typical user will never scroll all the way down to the part where it says "...and you grant permission for BigProvider to sell your name and life to anyone with a nickel..."
Re:Time for a law (Score:2)
Why do we need a law? I used to play Yahoo Poker on occasion; now I most certainly will not. Yahoo makes it's money by the number of eyeballs they can sell to advertisers (among other things). They have two less eyeballs now. We live in a capitalistic society; let the economics, not the courts, decide.
Re:Time for a law (Score:2)
Seen after playing a game:
"Now updating our big evil database on which games you play, how long, how many Kid and Play movies you have rented from Suncoast video, and your shoe size........ Done."
Just how powerful can an EULA be? (Score:3, Interesting)
OK, so probably this Yahoo thing is blown out of proportion and context in typical Slashdot fashion. But imagine it's for real -- would an EULA like this stand if challenged? Why or why not?
Calling all IANALs....
Re:Just how powerful can an EULA be? (Score:2, Interesting)
Correction: You could try to sell Yahoo software with this EULA.
The difference is Yahoo! has a Team! of! Lawyers! to read each one of these things, whereas Joe consume does not, nor does he have the time...
Let's also face another depressing question here... does Joe consume care all that much? Especially if he can get Civ III for free?
---Lane
At least it is in the EULA (Score:4, Insightful)
That would really be spying, what they are doing now it more like buying your personal information with a game...
a Link (Score:5, Interesting)
but if Yahoo is providing this for free,
I cannot seem to find a link to it,
however, I did find this...
http://games.yahoo.com/games/downloads/promo/prom
from there you have to click "sign up and play"
now, then sign in with a yahoo ID,
click "continue to rent game"
just click "single game rental" for this
then the last step before the EULA, in which there is nothing from the above quote
which calls into the validity of the above story
Re:a Link (Score:5, Insightful)
I would note also that, with such a rental system, collecting data about people's playing of the rented game could be considered a necessity since there would have to be a way to shut it off after it had been played. There would also have to be a way to activate the start of the three-day rental after the download completed, since I don't think Yahoo would be so stupidly evil as to mark the time it takes to download the game against the customer's rental time.
In summary, the writer of the article is pretty dumb and the editor who posted it must be getting very sleepy. :)
Re:a Link (Score:2)
As a side note, if you check out the site at Yahoo Games [yahoo.com], you'll find that actually (assuming that these are indeed full versions which seems to be the case), the "game packages" could actually be a good deal if you were on the fence about buying any of the games they have available. For example, they have a 10-game package at $14.95 that allows you to have unlimited play for a month of 10 games. That's a pretty good way to try before you buy, if you ask me...which you didn't...but I told you anyway.
Dear /. editors (Score:4, Funny)
YHL
HAND
Re:Dear /. editors (Score:4, Informative)
You have lost.
Have a nice day.
It means timothy (the
Which software are they talking about (Score:2)
I could be wrong... (Score:1)
Personally, I'm paranoid enough that I just don't install any web "add-ins" at all, but I'd have assumed that what Yahoo! describes is pretty much a default.
sigh... Anyone up for a quick round of "PRODIGY IS UPLOADING MY FILES!!!!!"?
Ah well, no problem (Score:2)
Much Adieu (Score:1)
stopping the spyware (Score:1)
2. Use Linux.
If you believe in privacy but fall for the spyware trap then you better go back to school and study a little harder.
The ONLY secure computer is a disconnected, powered down, Tempest computer in a Faraday cage in a concrete bunker 100' underground. Anything else is a security risk.