New depths for the corporate machine

[buggalugs]

It's not often that one comes across a story these days that genuinely pushes your envelope, in terms of what completely immoral behaviour people can engage in behind the grey fascade of a corporation.

But here's one - parental control software that parents can install on family PC's to restrict what kids can see on the internet, has been secretly combing through childrens chat online conversations for their opinions on games, films and music. They then sell this information.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5...

Who the hell thought that this was an OK thing to do?

[Arese]

Worst, I-go-on-chat-rooms-pretending-to-be-a-teenager, post, EVER.

Joke

Edited by Arese on Monday 7th September 17:37

[evenflow]

Not that much different from targeted advertising on googlemail. The software "reads" your mail, looks for keywords, and then displays adverts next to the text relevant to the keywords.

[Menguin]

Good idea, wish I'd thought of it.. What harm is it doing, exactly?

[Astacus]

its intrusive, its an invasion of privacy, no one asked them to do it, no one knew it was happening, its dishonest.

HTH

Edited by Astacus on Monday 7th September 20:36

[Menguin]

The parents agreed in the t&cs that all data could be shared with selected 3rd party companies. They had the choice to opt out.

[Astacus]

Menguin said:

The parents agreed in the t&cs that all data could be shared with selected 3rd party companies. They had the choice to opt out.

Ah, I take it all back