Privacy advocates frown on Amazon snooping plan

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federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. COPPA makes it illegal for Web sites to collect information from children under the age of 13 without the consent of a parent.

The FTC rejected the claim a few months ago. But this new system, if put into practice, could bring a fresh round of COPPA-related complaints against the company, said Jason Catlett, founder of Junkbusters, a consumer watchdog.

Amazon spokeswoman Patty Smith downplayed concerns, saying the company wouldn't do anything to violate COPPA and that all the hand-wringing is premature.

"There's no guarantee that there won't be some disastrous privacy invasion coming out of this."

--Karen Coyle, spokeswoman, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

"When we submitted the patent application, we tried to be as forward-thinking as possible as to how we might apply the technology, but it's not something we're currently doing," she said. "It's all hypothetical."

Even if the system doesn't violate COPPA, it involves a level of snooping that's just plain creepy, some advocates said. Particularly worrisome is the fact that people wouldn't even have to shop at Amazon for the company to have a profile on them.

"They are building a speculative profile on you before you even know you're dealing with them, because someone sends you a gift," Catlett said. "They're guessing who knows what about you."

Catlett's group has unsuccessfully lobbied Amazon to let customers see their complete profiles and delete them if they ask. He would also like the online retailer to agree to never sell customer data under any circumstances.

He's particularly dismayed by the prospect of Amazon monitoring customer reviews for marketing purposes.

"This is a classic example of how a lack of privacy protection chills speech in public," Catlett said. "People will hesitate to publish reviews if they know the result is to enlarge their profile in some secret marketing database."

[Bill Dautrive]

Invented?

Is this a 'new technology' that they are going to try and patent also?

Amazon turned into a joke, which is too bad since you can get a lot of things cheaply. I used to do business with them often, but refuse to do so anymore, and told them why. Little good it will do, but anyone who feels the same way I urge them to do the same thing and let them know.

[a09252003]

Your privacy is non-existant, get over it"

"People will hesitate to publish reviews if they know the result is to enlarge their profile in some secret marketing database."

-> The market speaks, business listens.

If you don't like the situation, it's simple... don't shop there. Enough people stop buying things change. Mission accomplished.

The "Market" will prove that most people could don't give a hoot. All they want is the product, Privacy, security as displayed by the recent ChoicePoint etc. Most people are unaware of the exetent of the data collection that's going on.

Where are all the law suites, news paper stories, Lawmaker crying out for justice!. Token investagtions the go on, and on , and on, and come to the conculsion that improper procedures were used, and that's it.

To paraphase Sun's CEO Scott McNealy "Your privacy is non-existant, get over it"

And the polly anna's wringing thier hands over this,

[Stating]

Freedom Is Not Free

Apparently in the times we now live in privacy is not a right but a means for companies and instituitions to make money off your identity. Your individual responsibility is to make it as difficult for these enemies of privacy as possible. Generally speaking, the bigger the company the larger privacy threat they pose. The incremental cost to them to compile, track, rack, and stack data on you is trivial once they have the IT infrastructure in place.

The best way to ensure your privacy is to use cash. Remember what you did before Amazon? You went to the local mall or Main Street to buy a gift and a card (or maybe MADE a card), wrapped it, and mailed it at the post office. OK, so it's a little more work. But isn't your own privacy and security WORTH a little work? Freedom is not free.

Keith
www.techcando.com

[brcklyn]

Am brocklynjerryben and want to join u ..................................