COPYCENSE

“A new version of Apple Computer’s popular iTunes software, released Tuesday, is drawing barbs from privacy advocates for sending information about computer users’ playlists back to Apple.

“The new music software includes a ‘MiniStore’ window, which provides recommended links to Apple’s music download service when a listener actively clicks on a song in their personal playlist, including songs that haven’t been purchased from the iTunes store.

“To provide those recommendations, the software sends information about the selected song, such as artist, title and genre, back to Apple. But the software also transmits a string of data that is linked to a computer user’s unique iTunes account ID, computer experts have found.”

John Borland. Apple’s iTunes Raises Privacy Concerns. News.com. Jan. 12, 2006.

See also:

EFF Deep Links. Tunes MiniStore “Phone Home” Feature Part of a Dangerous Trend In Data Collection. January 12, 2006.

Rob Griffiths. Eyeing the iTunes MiniStore. MacWorld. Jan. 11, 2006.

Updates:

EFF Deep Links. Apple Makes iTunes Tweaks After Internet Uproar. Jan. 18, 2005.

The Apple Core. ITunes Phones Home. Jan. 16, 2006.

CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the intersection of business, law and technology. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.