C/Net.com - Free Software Downloads Have Strings Attached (Dec 7/01)
(The following
articles have been archived for both instructional and referential purposes.
To read the full articles please follow the links to the source located at the
bottom.)
Free Software downloads have strings attached
By Patricia Jacobusl December 7, 2000
Little on the Internet is truly free. That's the message
from privacy advocates who are red-flagging some popular and free downloadable
software that may come with hidden costs.
In a report by the University of Denver in conjunction with the Privacy Foundation,
researchers found that consumers unknowingly give up personal and often sensitive
information in exchange for certain products.
The data is then used to direct advertisements that speak to a
person's tastes.
"I think consumers are confused when they find out what they
have to give up" for some products, said David Martin, a professor at the
University of Denver who spearheaded the report. "They learn that it may
be free of charge, but it's not a free gift."
For his report, Martin looked at 16 browser extensions designed
to make surfing easier. Since the study began, however, three have gone out
of business, and a few others have drastically changed their business models
so the findings no longer apply.
Some of the products studied still exist, and the practice of
software providers culling personal data without spelling it out to consumers
has raised a few eyebrows in privacy circles.
All of the products examined for the report failed to provide
clear notice to the consumers. Most transmitted more personal information than
necessary. A few either didn't give people choices about which details would
be collected or stored the data in systems that weren't secure, the report said.
The greatest concern, however, was the practice of monitoring
search queries, which can be sensitive and personal. For example, if a person
using some of the free software looked up information about AIDS, that query
could then be stored as part of a consumer profile.
