The world of spying on Americans is just beginning.
If you've signed up to receive e-mails from Sears, and then clicked on to join the retailer's "My SHC Community," it's likely you've been providing information to more people than you thought. Even more troubling, it turns out that you're not just sharing information with Sears, but also with a company called comScore, which tracks and aggregates Internet browsing habits.
Installing the software from Sears results in the installation of software called VoiceFive, which provides data to comScore. Those who have installed the software through links from Sears may not actually know what they're participating in. Buried deep in the privacy statement users must agree to before signing up for SHC is this frightening statement:
"Once you install our application, it monitors all of the Internet behavior that occurs on the computer on which you install the application, including both your normal web browsing and the activity that you undertake during secure sessions, such as filling a shopping basket, completing an application form or checking your online accounts, which may include personal financial or health information."
Sounds scary, especially the part about monitoring "both your normal web browsing and the activity that you undertake during secure sessions, such as...checking your online accounts." The bit about "personal financial or health information" is scary, too.
I wonder how many people bother to read the privacy statement.
http://www.switched.com/2008/01/03/sears-using-spyware-to-monitor-your-personal-information/
Here's an article about Yoo that you don't have to register to read:
Posted by CG at January 5, 2008 09:43 AMMary, Paradox and other NorCal inhabitants, Hope you're all safe and everything's still in one piece.
I remember those large storms.
I went through the mudslides in the early 80's when I lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains.