iTunes: Apple Releases a Privacy Fix · 269 words posted 01/18/2006 10:43 AM
As Kirk McElhearn noticed this morning, Apple has partially fixed the privacy issue in iTunes 6.0.2.
Now, when you attempt to open the iTune MiniStore you are prompted with the following language:
The iTunes MiniStore allows you to discover new music and videos right from your iTunes Library. As you select items in your Library, information about that item is sent to Apple and the MiniStore will show you related songs or videos. Apple does not keep any information related to the contents of your music Library. Would you like to turn on the MiniStore now?
You don’t need to download any additional software to see the new Privacy language. Thus, Apple has addressed two of my primary concerns:
- The MiniStore is now opt-in instead of opt-out; in other words, a user can choose whether she wishes to use this feature but by default the feature is turned off.
- The interface now states in unambiguous language that some of your information is sent to Apple.
Apple should be commended for updating iTunes within a week of my original article.
Packet inspection with Ethereal indicates that—assuming you use iTunes on a Mac—iTunes still includes your Apple ID in the header of an HTTP GET sent to Omniture, a third party marketing, data collection, and web analytics firm. It’s up to Apple’s customers to decide whether Apple should update the licenses governing iTunes and iTMS to disclose its use of third party software and services as it does with GraceNote and Kerbango.
While the fix may not be complete, it’s clear that Apple listened to its customers and responded to our concerns.
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1. On Jan 19, 03:13 PM Stuart said:
It’s just another option to turn off. I was never concerned that it was ‘spy’
ware, and was surprised anyone has made any big deal out of it. (another loony report on the BBC)
John Gruber said it best at Daring Fireball (edit)
“Apple’s mistake wasn’t that they added spyware to iTunes, because they
didn’t, but rather that the way the feature was introduced made it possible to
be misconstrued as spyware. How do I turn this off? When I turn off the
display of the MiniStore, does that stop the transmission of information? Does
Apple keep this information about my listening habits? The answers to these
questions were not apparent.
I think the explanation is simply that the iTunes team didn’t anticipate that
the MiniStore feature could be misconstrued — they knew it wasn’t the least
bit nefarious, and assumed users would trust them.”
[Stuart, I've edited your comment so that the URL is a link.—since1968] #