TiVo Changing Privacy Policy? 106
Update 4:45 EDT: I spoke with TiVo about this. They are rolling out a DirecTV/TiVo combination box this weekend, and the new privacy policy was intended to reflect the fact that, when you register using the new combo box, both TiVo and DirecTV get your Account Information.
"We reserve the right to disclose to our hardware manufacturing partners (for example, Sony, Philips and Thomson) the Account Information and Anonymous Viewing Information of subscribers who use a Receiver made by that manufacturing partner..."
"Account Information" includes "Contact Information," which includes your name, address, phone, email, and other sundries, but not your viewing habits. "Anonymous Viewing Information" is a statistical aggregate of what you - and everyone else in your zip code - likes to watch.
The partner corporations will only get access to your "Personal Viewing Information" if you already expressly gave TiVo permission to have that information (I'm not sure why you would).
Two things to note:
First, you cannot opt-out of this information sharing with their hardware partners. If you sign up with DirecTV and TiVo simultaneously on your new combo box, then sorry, both companies get that info. The way they described it, there isn't much they can do about this.
This is despite my being told, when I called their customer support line as a customer rather than a reporter, that my opting-out of the Anonymous Viewing Information collection would also opt me out of the Contact Information. Oops. My guess is that their customer service people aren't hip on the new privacy agreement change yet. Give 'em a week.
Second, I was verbally assured that existing TiVo customers, without combo boxes, will not just have their Account Information or Anonymous Viewing Information given to the makers of their non-combo box. In other words, just because I own a TiVo box made by Philips, Philips won't get my name, address, email, etc. It would only be if I owned a (hypothetical future) combo box made by Philips.
Of course it would be nice for this assurance to be in the privacy policy itself! It really should be more specific.
They didn't promise me anything except that they'd try to be more specific in the future. I hope we'll be able to run a Slashback story in the next week or two, to let you know whether their policy has been appropriately updated. Stay tuned.
Re:Read the policy before spouting off (Score:1)
However, TiVo contractually binds our manufacturing partners to comply with the provisions of this Privacy Promise; our manufacturing partners are legally liable for misuse of Subscriber Information.
Stuff like that puts a cramp in ones fearmongering. Real Slashdotters don't do research, they're too busy posting their uninformed paranoid ramblings as fact.
Re:Show them how important your privacy is to you. (Score:1)
Unless it's a lifetime sub (which is really the only sub that makes sense if you bought the Tivo with the expectation of using it over a year and a half). The sub is just tied to the serial #, so it'll transfer with the unit automatically. Tivo will never even know that you sold it.
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Re:fp Corporate Napster (Score:1)
The accessibility of personal/private info is one major caveat of this fine digital age we live in.
It is impossible (or damn near it) to stop companies from sharing personal information but if there are sharing information about what I watch and where I shop it is also possible to believe that one day my employer or worse my medical insurer makes decisions about my employment\coverag based on shopping \ viewing habits.
While it maybe be true that most techinical (I assume that is what you mean by online types) are well compensated by their employers, we do go to extreme lengths and work under absurd conditions to make a living. In addtion Most techs are worth twice there compensation package.
YOU CAN NEVER MAKE TO MUCH MONEY
Instead of paying me for my information allow me to choose what is made avavilable
I think the answer is Yes you can opt out (Score:1)
"If you don't want even your anonymous viewing information (information that does not identify you or your household) used in any way, simply tell us by calling our toll-free telephone number (1-877-FOR-TiVo). "
So, call them and tell them you don't want your information used.
Troy
I will believe these privacy policies... (Score:1)
They'll do it for you. (Score:5)
Anyway, this policy change has nothing to with your anonymous viewing information. Next time, get the details before you start spouting off.
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TiVO's at least acting responsibly (Score:5)
I took the suggestion of other poster's here and called them on the 877 number.
Their rep asked me what I did or didn't understand about the new privacy policy, and made sure to reiterate that it's anonymous information they're sharing.
And he DID let me opt out. Their rep was pleasant, informative, and quick at noting in his workstation that my information is not to be shared.
He asked me why I was concerned about it, since it was anonymous information.
I explained that it's very easy to go from a snowflake of anonymous information into an avalanche of exploitation, that it only takes someone saying, "well, last year we sold that much information, maybe it's more valuable if we sell it *this* way!" and that I'd rather not contribute to that sort of future. He agreed and noted it, saying he'd mention that to his supervisor.
Do I think that makes a difference? no, but at least they're acting responsibly.
A host is a host from coast to coast, but no one uses a host that's close
Re:oh-oh-oh tivo (Score:2)
It is true that Tivo is very useful for cutting the ads out, but they're still relatively ad-friendly compared to how well it could work. You have to fast-forward through ads (and watch them to know when to stop ffing) instead of just "skipping" them, so you still experience blitverts. Also, when you stop fast forwarding, it "conveniently" rewinds a bit, so you always get to watch the tail end of the last ad. If Tivos catch on, I expect that the last 10 seconds at the end of commercial breaks will become worth more to advertisers than the rest of the commercial break.
What's worse is that the flaws will never be fixed. It's intentionally done this way; those are features, not bugs. That's why an open source Tivo alternative would be so nice.
That said, it's still a neat product and the ad-to-blitvert conversion speeds things up nicely. I can watch Battlebots in 10 or 11 minutes, thanks to my Tivo.
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Re:They'll do it for you. (Score:1)
Spouting off ? I know how to spout off, and that wasn't spouting off.
If a person reverse engineered the protocols they use, one could make sure the information being sent back was on the up and up.
I understand the information gathering today can be opted out of, but what about the future? In addition how do we know they are being truthful about today's privacy policy? How are they audited?
Direct Tv / Tivo combo box REQUIRES this change! (Score:2)
For the direct tv/tivo combination, they HAVE to link this info for pay-per-view billing. Before the licence change, that was impossible, and would have limited the functionallity legally possible with this combo box.
When are the posters here at slashdot going to RESEARCH submissions before implying that someone is being screwed.
Unreal. (Score:1)
Re:oh-oh-oh tivo (Score:1)
There is a hack that allows you to turn off this feature if you want to. Check out the FAQ on avsforum.
So why shouldn't I try to be anonymous on the net? (Score:3)
The solution? Be anonymous.
The gov't and businesses don't wanna play nice and prefer to rape our private infomation again and again. It's time to fight back.
Use anonymous remailers like replay.com.
Daisychain several accounts through multiple anonymous remailers. Make sure there's a Yahoo or Hotmail account at the end of the chain.
Never use the email address that your ISP provides you.
Run Linux to make security easier for you to control.
Set up ipchains to trap and reject all packets bount for banner ad sites, microsoft, real.com (Real audio), etc. use the whois server at arin.net to see who owns what IP address block.
Turn off identd.
Use DHCP. Even if you have static IP addresses for servers, add another network card to your machine, bind it to a DHCP address and route all your own personal net surfing through that card.
Create psuedo accounts when some kind of logging in is required. cypherpunks/cypherpunks often works.
Give phony postal addresses. Some check these for real addresses and validate city name against zip code and even against street name/mumber, so go read the address off og a traffic light controller box (yes, they actually have addresses assigned to them).
Need stuff delivered? Get a P.O. Box or a box at one of those box rental places (the latter is preferred if you reveice via non USPS delivery methods (UPS, FedEx, etc.). Make sure this is the address on your drivers license and the address your car is registered too.
Pay bills or buy stuff over the web with anonymously purchased $0.50 money orders from 7-11. Pay cash for the money orders.
Give out bogus phone numbers to sites that want telephone numbers. A payphone's phone number works nicely.
Have two phone lines, one for your own personal use and one that never has a phone attached to it, and no modems, fax machines, or answering machines either, and which in fact never rings audiable to you at all. Use this number with all utilities, credit cards, health insurance firms, ISPs, the Motor Vehicle Dept., Domain Name registrations, and any other place that requires your "real" phone number. It's even OK if telemarketers get the number. Endless rings with not even an answering machines wastes the maximum possible amount of their time with no return for them on time invested.
Use crypto wherever possible. You should even download the int'l kernel patches (from www.kerneli.org) and create encrypted disk partitions to store any volitile data on. And don't use just one crypto method. Create a 2nd encrypted filesystem inside the 1st encrypted filesystem. Repeat 2,3,4 times using different crypto algs and passphrases at each level. That way if your machine is stolen, no one mounts the filesystem without the password, not even the NSA.
Never give passwords over non SSL connections.
And above all, be paranoid. Just because everyone isn't out to get you doesn't that there's someone out to get you.
And always know that corporations have FORCED you to take these extreme measures and that it is necessary and right for you to do so.
power to the people.
Much ado about nothing? (Score:1)
The reality of this is that I'm in nearly every database there is. When I bought my house I was surprised to get "Welcome to the neighborhood!" ads from businesses that sold stuff I didn't use and that I'd never before frequented -- turns out the county land-transfer stuff was public info and was regularly sold to businesses.
Unless you were born off the record and live in a really rural location, it strikes me that the information that Tivo is sharing is the kind of thing other marketers would find out with or without Tivos help.
Re:General privacy/EULA/etc. watchdog info? (Score:1)
Maybe someone would want to run something like FuckedCompany.Com but concentrate on slippery privacy practices.
I'd love to see that happen. I guess that idea is now 'open source.'
I'm surprised... (Score:1)
Re:Just read the print! (Score:1)
--Fesh
"Citizens have rights. Consumers only have wallets." - gilroy
Re:I'm surprised... (Score:2)
Obviously, the only carelessness on my part is posting AT ALL. My post was hardly as inflamatory as all your attacks on slashdot I see, and was in response to TIVO, not you.
However, since you love the fire in your veins, and are so incredulous to my wise User Number (heh, like that means anything) to sum up... I don't see why a person who just purchased a new appliance at retail, must sell it for a loss. It's true, I didn't know that there was a healthy market on ebay, but at the same time, it'll be a moot point when the bigger capacity ones come out for christmas, and the prices of the old ones will plummet.
Honestly though, it was only a few months ago that I was looking at the Tivo website, reading their private policy plan. One that said that I should feel all warm and fuzzy inside, because they swear up and down, that no one will know my viewing habbits. So I buy one. And now, before a few months are up, they say whoops, scratch that, we're ammending that.
And so then I read people say: Easy, just drop the service. Well, If I drop the service then I can't use the box. That's my point. That's all. No service = no box. So you're point is to sell the box too, yippee, good point. Let's go ahead and chew my ass out because my point wasn't as great as your point, or that my point wasn't written as good, or obviously didn't cover everyone else's points with subnotes. Next time I'll add a bibliography.
Rader
Re:Hate to say "I told you so" but... (Score:2)
I agree. (Score:1)
I couldn't agree with you more. Please, follow in the steps of the great ones (heh) and retire.
Re:General privacy/EULA/etc. watchdog info? (Score:1)
Most privacy policies say "Check back here periodically", which is not very helpful. Some of these will still e-mail you (if you've given them an address) when there's a big policy change, but if you're really concerned, you could use MindIt [netmind.com] to tell you when the Privacy Policy page has changed.
Read More Carefully? (Score:3)
Falsify your information (Score:2)
That doesn't mean I like companies with lax privacy policies (I think Tivo should be boycotted), but you have to take responsibilty for maintaining your own privacy.
Re:They dont stop do they? (Score:1)
"sex on tv is bad, you might fall off..."
Re:Show them how important your privacy is to you. (Score:1)
Re:Hate to say "I told you so" but... (Score:1)
They atleast notified you :) (Score:2)
Re:Default behaviour... (Score:1)
At least you have that option. That's better than I expected, really.
And just out of curiosity, I looked at ReplayTV's privacy policy [replaytv.com], and it said the opposite:
Whee, Taco is ranting without reading the article. (Score:4)
Re:Make your own! (Score:1)
Yet another reason to MAKE YOUR OWN system using an ATI All-in-Wonder on your PC.
Ya know, that's not a half-bad idea! I have an All-in-Wonder Pro but the software that comes with it from ATI is buggy as hell. IF someone wanted to write some code that would have Tivo-like features and didn't crash when capturing large streams (longer than 1 minute at a time) it would definately find a market.
(If anybody knows of any existing tech to do this, please let me know.)
-The Reverend (I am not a Nazi nor a Troll)
Is anyone surprised (Score:1)
Re:Falsify your information (Score:2)
[A craven moderator has wronged you most foully. I swear, by Grapthar's hammer and by the blood of seven thousand seven hundred and seventy seven virgins, that you shall be righteously avenged at the time of reckoning and retribution, known as metamoderation. All Evil shall burn to ash and fall away, when exposed to the holy light of the metamoderators' judgement and limitless wisdom! Damnation and karma loss are all that an abusive moderator shall reap!]
The problem with Tivo subscription is that it's done with a credit card. How can this be done anonymously or with a false name?
Re:The official word (Score:1)
You, sir, obviously missed my point. (Score:1)
Maybe you need to step off your high horse for a second in order to fully understand my point. I realize it wasn't blatantly clear the first time, as I was really on my way out the door to take an engineering test. My point was NOT that everyone should stop buying it, but that if you dont like it, dont subscribe. I personally would not let this information policy stop me from doing anything involved with the TiVo, from buying one, to subscribing, to watching and recording whatever it is I choose to watch and record.
Furthermore, despite your nice healthy ego, it is entirely unlikely that this policy, regardless of the backlash in the geek community, is going to cost the owners of TiVo any money at all. Insinuating that it will is just ridiculous.
Re:The official word (Score:2)
I don't think so. For an ongoing service, if they notify of changes far enough in advance for you to cancel the service, I see nothing wrong with it, particularly as most services I've dealt with (ISPs, credit cards, etc.) include a clause in their terms of service or contract that states that they can change the terms with x days of notice.
Re:Hate to say "I told you so" but... (Score:1)
On my planet, nobody is so omniscient as to know the future ramifications of any action, or what acceptable activities today may be vilified under tomorrows regimes or mores.
Maybe you should find something more constructive to do than troll /., jerkass.
-Isaac
Re:Hate to say "I told you so" but... (Score:4)
Really? Did you buy the lifetime subscription under a false name and address? (Is that even possible? Or do you have to pay with a credit card?)
Tivo is neither "good guy" nor "bad guy" - Tivo is a company, an entity that exists solely and amorally to make money.
I'm not cynical, but I always read the fine print and am capable of critical thought. Tivo (and ReplayTV, for that matter) long ago made it clear that their business models had nothing to do with selling boxes. This became even clearer when they started licensing their technology to other manufacturers. Given that the boxes are sold at a loss (or breakeven at best), and that the type and granularity of data the boxes are capable of collecting is far more valuable in real dollars than the monthly fee they're collecting indicates to me that they've got another revenue stream in the works -selling viewing habits.
I do my best to warn people of the risks here. When a Supreme Court appointment's video rental habits were publicized, congress passed a law expxlicitly protecting the privacy of such records. (This is why you have to *opt in* to such programs as "Blockbuster Rewards" to trade your data for "free" gifts.) Back when Ms. Lewinsky's book buying habits were subpoenaed by Mr. Starr, I had been warning people about buying with credit or debit cards (which make such data collection possible). Not everyone is going to be investigated on a national scale, but one never knows when one's data trail may be important. Perhaps to an insurance company (surfed any medical sites that use DoubleClick or Akamai?), perhaps to an ex-spouse in a divorce proceeding or custody battle (surfed any *ahem* other sites? Watching late nite Cinemax on your Tivo? Watching lots of TV, period? Maybe it was your fault/you're not a good parent), perhaps to a future employer, etc. Even people who aren't planning on running for office should be aware at how their personal preferences are collected and mined and can be used against them.
-Isaac
Re:They dont stop do they? (Score:2)
Really though, will they give me back my money for the TIVO then?
Rader
This has nothing to do with marketing. (Score:1)
The policy is simple, if you get a "combo box" that gets service from both TiVo and one of their partners (such as the "DirecTV with TiVo service" box), then your name and contact info will be avaiable to both companies.
None of the "sharing" is marketable simply because the data is still protected by the privacy policy. It's a condition of the sharing.
If you don't want DirecTV to have your contact info, then don't get the "DirecTV with TiVo service" box. Or, get it but don't use it.
The whole thing is silly, but it seems that anything regarding privacy will immediatly be interpreted as bad.
The "Opt-out" will protect you from having your anonomous data collected. It won't let you get DirecTV service out of the "DirecTiVo" without DirecTV knowing who you are.
interesting... (Score:1)
digital satellite tv to analog reception, there's quite a difference in quality. (except watching characters during fast motion or lightning - mpeg breaks down there)
Re:Why do we just bitch and not DO something? (Score:1)
I agree, this is the way to go. A simple/cheap Serial-to-PIC-to-IR dongle, an ATI video card, as much hard disk as you want to pay for, and a hardware MPEG encoding card. This should be possible primarily with off the shelf hardware and software.
Too bad it hasn't expanded your ability to type, or avoid making offensive statements.
Now, I don't have cable, or dish, or even an antenna hooked up. I watch VHS and DVD, and play video games. But I don't think less of people just because they watch television - Unless it's Voyager, Seinfeld, or Friends.
Re:Privacy is Money (Score:1)
If you purchase Digital TV in the UK your usage is monitored via telephone (satellite TV).
The Installation fee is £100 if you allow monitoring via telephone, £400 if you refuse to be monitored. I was the first person who had asked them on this!
Re:ShowStopper. (Score:1)
Hey cool, it's the Website of the Future! [showstopper.com].
Both the .net and .org are also placeholder sites.
Check those URLs, people.
Oh, and on the other hand, Panasonic [panasonic.com] has a ReplayTV/TiVo style box (isn't it a clone of one of them?) called the Showstopper [panasonic.com].
Oh please... (Score:2)
We determined that there are two types of conspiracy theorists. Those who like reading about them, and believing only bits and pieces as being the truth, and those who go around wearing tinfoil lined clothing.
Those who believe this is an evil plot by TiVo to take over the world are completely in the second category.
All data collected by the Tivo is encrypted at the source and then sent to Tivo's servers. They do not know what channels a particular person is watching. Only that a person is watching a particular channel.
The very fact that TiVo has a Privacy Officer is a boon for me. How many other PVRs have one? They are committed to keeping individual information private. Before the change in the policy they couldn't even share subscription numbers information to the producers of the equipment.
Runestar
Re:fp Corporate Napster (Score:1)
Show them how important your privacy is to you... (Score:1)
Dunno about the partnership... (Score:2)
Of course, that's the idealist in me speaking again...
NecroPuppy
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Godot called. He said he'd be late.
Just read the print! (Score:5)
TiVo knows how important personal privacy is to you, so we have established strict policies to help protect the privacy of your personal information. In summary, we promise that:
No one outside your home, not even the TiVo staff or any of TiVo's computer systems, will ever have access to any of your personal viewing information without your prior consent. Your preferences are personal. The TiVo Service has no way of knowing what shows you have rated with "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down." If you don't want even your anonymous viewing information (information that does not identify you or your household) used in any way, simply tell us by calling our toll-free telephone number (1-877-FOR-TiVo).
This is in fact repeated a few more times in the promise, that "If you do not wish this information disclosed, call our toll-free number." So yes, you can opt out.
Dragon Magic [dragonmagic.net]
Glad I bought ReplayTV (Score:2)
John
Re:Show them how important your privacy is to you. (Score:2)
oh-oh-oh tivo (Score:1)
I LOVE YOU [mikegallay.com]
The official word (Score:4)
I don't necessarily like having my personal information floating everwhere, but if you read their privacy policy, it doesn't seem to be such a bad thing.
Why not call them and ask? (Score:2)
Free for the world (Score:1)
The full text (from my own TiVo this morning) (Score:2)
From: Matthew Zinn, TiVo's Chief Privacy Officer
Thu 10/5
Dear Tivo Subscriber:
Since our founding, we've been dedicated to protecting your privacy. We created the industry's first privacy policy, which was predicated on the simple concept that you, the TV viewer, should be in control over your personal television viewing information.
As we've grown, we've come to the point where we need to update our privacy policy to make sure that the spirit of our founding privacy pledge extends globally to cover our business practices in international markets, as well as our growing roster of business partners.
The purpose of this communication is to notify you that we've updated our Privacy Policy. The most critical components of our policy remain in effect -- no one outside of your home will ever have access to your personal TV viewing information without your prior consent.
The changes focus on how we work with our partners. In cases where TiVo and one or more of our partner companies together service your account, we want to ensure that your privacy is protected. For example, if you are a customer of one of our hardware manufacturing partners (such as Philips or Sony), or one of our service partners (such as DIRECTV or AOL), we may share your account information with that partner and want to ensure that the same strict guidelines we set for ourselves are maintained. We believe the new TiVo Privacy Policy accomplishes this.
You can read the updated TiVo Privacy Policy by visiting www.tivo.com/care/ or if you don't have Internet access, you can call us toll-free at (877) 367-8486 and we will mail you a copy.
TiVo recognizes that your trust in our Service is paramount to our success. As such, we're very proud of our stance on this critical issue and we're dedicated to delivering on it.
Matthew Zinn
Chief Privacy Officer
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They should share THEIR data (Score:1)
If they put a Ethernet card in that thing so I can get the videos from the HD, I would buy one tomorrow.
Re:fp Corporate Napster (Score:1)
Re:The official word (Score:1)
Ideally, TiVo should give all existing customers the opportunity to opt-in to a broadening of the rights TiVo wants to reserve. If they want to send a customer a T-Shirt, as RB cites as an example, they should ask that customer's permission to give their partner the personal information, not simply assume that the customer won't mind. If they want to offer DirecTV and TiVo charges on a single bill, they should ask the customer's permission.
Privacy Policies should be binding contracts between companies and their consumers, and should not change except by mutual consent of both parties.
I respect TiVo for being one of the few companies that seems to want to do right by their customers in this regard, but their policies aren't perfect. It doesn't take a genius to see that innocuous changes like these could lead to a slippery slope where what a company promises is meaningless.
Re:fp Corporate Napster (Score:1)
DOH!
Hate to say "I told you so" but... (Score:2)
The best part - even if you cancel the service when their privacy policy changes, they still have your old viewing data, which is still saleable and will still be sold, regardless of your protestations.
Don't believe the hype - it all comes back to pimping your eyeballs. And they have the cojones to charge you for the privilege, how sweet of them!
-Isaac
Re:General privacy/EULA/etc. watchdog info? (Score:1)
Re:Glad I bought ReplayTV (Score:3)
So from what I understand, in terms of privacy, right now, even if they wanted to, Replay cannot distribute any user identifying information because they don't have any.
TV is a waste... (Score:1)
Idiot Box [theaquabats.com]
C'mon people, you don't *need* TV.
Why do we just bitch and not DO something? (Score:1)
Gawd, let's either defeat it or just sit there making pouty faces during our temper tantrums screaming " I dont wanna share!"
I for one dont own a tvio, and wont get one... I prefer to expand my mind instead of have television suck my brains out.
Re:Read More Carefully? (Score:1)
As I mentioned in a previous thread in this article (Re:Just read the print!), "anonymous viewing information" does not equal "account information". Their privacy policy makes a distinction between the two throughout the policy. Also, the policy does not metion that one's "account information" will be kept private. Finally, remember that their policy can change at any time so it is essentially a non-binding policy.
The real question is even if Tivo adhears to the "spirit" of the policy what is there to prevent the third parties from abusing user information? They do not have privacy policies at all.
ShowStopper. (Score:1)
Re:They dont stop do they? (Score:4)
If I decide I don't want to pay for gasoline anymore, will the oil companies give back the $24,000 that I paid for my vehicle since it will no longer be useful without fuel? No? Neither will TiVo, considering they didn't make any money on the hardware sale in the first place.
But seriously, the market for used TiVo's on eBay is quite healthy, I'm sure you'd have no problem getting at least 66% of your investment back.
Re:They'll do it for you. (Score:2)
Hack a shell on the box and see for yourself. It's all TCL scripts, with a bit of shell scripting thrown in. The main viewing data is stored in a file called tivoLog.prv. It's text, nice and simple. It gets FTP'd to their site, with a filename = to your serial number, randomized. Also, the date and time of the file are randomized when it's uploaded.
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Even easier... (Score:1)
Re:Privacy is Money (Score:2)
Once somebody starts distributing your private information though, that information can be spread through goddess-knows-how-many databases, mailing lists & whatnot, all w/o your knowledge or possibility of intervention. At least the money that was stolen from you is limited by its purchasing power - your private information can be copied & corrupted mercilessly.
(I guess this is the other edge of the two-edged sword of near zero-cost information-distribution - the same technology which enables MP3s & movies to be passed around as digital data allows organizations to collect & distribute our personal information just as easily.)
Re:General privacy/EULA/etc. watchdog info? (Score:2)
I think this would be a good idea but don't know if there's anyone with the resources to undertake the task. If you could make a business out of it, like maybe Enonymous' Privacy Ratings [privacyratings.org] site, then that might work. I'd monitor it if there was such a site. Maybe someone would want to run something like FuckedCompany.Com but concentrate on slippery privacy practices.
I've found that PrivacyDigest [privacydigest.com] and WebVeil [webveil.com] do a pretty good job of keeping abreast of the news. Privacy Digest is better because it is more comprehensive, but WebVeil is selective, seeming to focus on privacy for consumers specifically rather than everything that is privacy under the sun. Otherwise, I just pay attention to and filter what the paranoids are saying in alt.privacy or check on the privacy issues section of Yahoo [yahoo.com] and Wired [wired.com].
I saw this at CEDIA (Score:2)
CEDIA is the show for custom audio-video installers. At least one of the Tivo units will have not one but two DirecTV tuners, so you can watch and record at the same time. And the recording quality is miles ahead of standard Tivo and ReplayTV units, as it records the already compressed MPEG stream as it comes from the satellite. Obviously, the quality of the encoder at the DirecTV head end is far better than the cheap chip in the consumer unit - not to mention that this avoids the awful necessity of decoding and re-encoding an MPEG stream.
But I have to confess that the best picture quality I saw was not from Sony's or Philips's TIVO units, but from the RCA DirecTV box with software from Microsoft. No, I have no idea why MS is wanting to get into this market either, other than to try to get WebTV into more homes.
once a customer, always a customer (Score:2)
Why on earth would you think they would stop selling your contact/marketting/demographic information after you discontinue their service?
You may be through with the past. But the past isn't through with you.
Dark Helicopter hovers over you (Score:2)
Narration: While I zip through the TiVo recording of my favorite porno movie "Debbie Does Dallas", I can finally relax after a hard days nite [soft Beatle corresponding background tune].
[scene: TiVo Monitoring Centre]
Marketing Guru: Hot damn, another sex-paying viewer. Our partners will pay us thru the nose for this data.
Assistant: Uh-ho, ummmph, he's underaged.
Marketing Guru: Oh sh*t! Shut it down, shut it down!
[scene: beeping Carnivore Alert Panel, FBI H.A.R.D. Center, Ft. Worth]
Agent 1: Underage viewing of porno at 412 Black Gold Avenue.
Agent 2: SWAT dispatched
[scene: outside TiVo HQ]
SWAT: [megaphone] Come out with your hands up in the air.
Re:Just read the print! (Score:1)
then again, if judge judy ruled the courts this RIAA and MPAA crap would be cleared up in no time. she dont take no crap.
Another Notable Policy Change (Score:1)
In other news Warez Hut changed their Piracy Policy. [bbspot.com]
BrianSig free since 1993.
Re:Whee, Taco is ranting without reading the artic (Score:1)
Piracy tool (Score:1)
Re:Show them how important your privacy is to you. (Score:1)
"sex on tv is bad, you might fall off..."
Looks like you didn't read the fine print (Score:1)
i.e., no privacy whatsoever (Score:2)
This brings up several important points:
Are your viewing habbits considered part of your account information?
If you are concerned about privacy, then you should get a TiVo-branded unit, not a partner-branded unit, though this means you may miss out on some added benefits of hybrid hardware (i.e., built-in DSS tuner or AOL Web-TVish Internet access).
Expectation of Privacy (Score:2)
Having said that, what we need is a law that forces companies to honor privacy agreements even through mergers, bankruptcies, and changes in corporate philosophy.
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Privacy is Money (Score:4)
Is Tivo going to let you opt-out? If not, maybe they'll let you keep your privacy for a price. Although it looks like right now, the Tivo policy is "Anonymous Only". I'm still glad I've got the Dish Network box instead. I don't have to leave it plugged into my phone line, or plug it in at all. That's the only way I can be sure that it's really one way. I'd rather just have my personal recording bundled with my satellite service then have my TV tastes auctioned off.
Re:Expectation of Privacy (Score:2)
General privacy/EULA/etc. watchdog info? (Score:2)
Updated September 2000 (Score:1)
When they update the new one, it'll probably still have the toll-free information. Well, hopefully more than probably.
Dragon Magic [dragonmagic.net]
OK, who can patch this (Score:1)
It is time to patch the Tivo software so that it can send out the same useless information each time they connect.
Sort of like those cookies I send that say "Don't set cookies on my hard drive. I don't want 'em!"
Here's what's new: (Score:5)
4.3 Contractors and Third Party Service Providers. We use contractors to help with some of our operations. Some of these contractors will have access to our databases of Subscriber Information on a temporary basis for specific tasks. TiVo also uses third parties to help with certain aspects of its operations, which may require disclosure of your Subscriber Information to them. For example, TiVo may use a third party to communicate with you (via telephone, email, or letter) about your account or upcoming features or services, to mail rebate checks, to process and collect payment for your TiVo Service via your credit card, to generate demographic profiles based on Subscriber Information of current TiVo subscribers, and to perform other work that we may need to outsource. TiVo contractually binds these contractors and third parties to use your Subscriber Information only as necessary to perform the services they are asked to perform; such contractors and third parties are legally liable for misuse of Subscriber Information.
This is in order to let DirecTV directly bill the DirecTivo users for the Tivo service. With the old privacy policy, they couldn't do that.
That's it, fellas. Your viewing info (that everyone worries about) is still completely anonymous, and only used in an aggregate form.
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Re:Updated September 2000 (Score:3)
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Read deeper, this binds the partners too. (Score:4)
'Nuff said.
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Re:Hate to say "I told you so" but... (Score:4)
Funny, they don't have my viewing habits, at least not in a way that's identifiable to me personally. That's what anonymous means.
BTW, is it hard to be so cynical all the time? Tivo is not one of the bad guys. Some companies do know the difference between right and wrong, you know.
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Re:Privacy is Money (Score:1)
Great insight.
Anyone else read this as (Score:1)
Re:Falsify your information (Score:1)
Re:Hate to say "I told you so" but... (Score:2)
Ah, I see, becuase I disagree with the
While I disagree with the whole "information want to be free" meme, information does tend to spread, in unexpected ways. To think that corporations have some obligation to put up artifical boundries in an attempt to stop this is both foolish and naive.
Re:I saw this at CEDIA (Score:2)
To sell more copies of WinCE?
...phil
Re:Just read the print! (Score:5)
The fine print doesn't mention your "account information"; the above refers to your "personal viewing information". There is a distinction between the two throughout the privacy policy.
BTW, their "policy" is crap. They say it can be changed anytime:
This privacy policy may change over time.
And you accept their DYNAMIC policy by using the Tivo service:
Use of your Recorder or the TiVo Service will signify your acceptance of these privacy policies.
By using their service you are agreeing to allow them to alter their privacy policy at whim. So if you want to use their Tivo service and they want to share ALL your information with everyone in the world then the only choices you have is: let them or drop their service.
Question is, will they reinburse a lifetime subscription if you don't agree with a change in their policy? IANAL, but what kind of contract is this if you agree to the terms(by using and paying for their service) then they can go ahead and change the contract to seemingly limitless ends?
Read the policy before spouting off (Score:2)
The partners are bound by TiVo's privacy policy for information they receive from TiVo.
And ther are no, to my knowledge, TiVo units that are not partner-branded, given that all "regular" units are manufactured by Sony or Phillips. It is my impression from reading the policy that Sony and Phillips count as partners under the privacy policy.
Re:Show them how important your privacy is to you. (Score:2)
Re:The official word (Score:3)