Was Anyone Aware of AOL's New Invasion of Privacy? This Is Scary

PittsburghAfterDark

PittsburghAfterDark

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AOL's Terms of Service Update for AIM Raises Eyebrows

By Ryan Naraine
March 12, 2005

America Online, Inc. has quietly updated the terms of service for its AIM instant messaging application, making several changes that is sure to raise the hackles of Internet privacy advocates.

The revamped terms of service, which apply only to users who downloaded the free AIM software on or after Feb. 5, 2004, gives AOL the right to "reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote" all content distributed across the chat network by users.

"You waive any right to privacy. You waive any right to inspect or approve uses of the content or to be compensated for any such uses," according to the AIM terms-of-service.

Although the user will retain ownership of the content passed through the AIM network, the terms give AOL ownership of "all right, title and interest in any compilation, collective work or other derivative work created by AOL using or incorporating this [user] content.

"In addition, by posting content on an AIM Product, you grant AOL, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, assigns, agents and licensees the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote this content in any medium," it added.

The changes could have serious ramifications for AOL's AIM@Work service which is being marketed to businesses. AIM@Work offers things like Identity Services to allow the use of corporate e-mail address as AOL screen names. It also offers premium services like voice conferencing and Web meetings.

At the time of this reporting, it is not clear if the same terms of service apply to businesses who pay for the AIM@Work features. America Online executives were not available to discuss the terms of service changes.

On Weblogs and discussion forums, the discovery of the updated AIM terms of service has led to intense discussions.

"They're encouraging businesses to use AIM to discuss details of their business correspondence, even to sync their Outlook contact and calendar files, which, according to their TOS, AOL then has the right to publish in any way they see fit, including, among other things, providing that information to business competitors. I'd be pretty damn leery of using AIM@Work for any kind of business," said Ben Stanfield, executive editor and founder of MacSlash, Inc.
Original Article

You have to wonder if this is AOL's way of getting out of the IM business for non-paying subscribers. I honestly don't see how MSN, Yahoo and AOL make money by offering IM services. Meanwhile they're constantly updating the software with all the expenses that go with it and the bandwidth usage can be incredible. I don't use AIM for anything except sending files that are too big for email or Yahoo IM.

However I knew, amazingly so, certain businesses whose whole internal IM was built on AIM. We're talking major corporate names who paid no fees to use the AOL network. If their lawyers get hold of this that's going to end in a New York minute.

I'm glad I never relied on AIM, I hope none of you are using it now that you've read this.
 
It's sad to say, but that's pretty much how you have to treat internet use these days. If it's not corrupt companies posting TOS like this, it's malware, viruses, trojans, keyloggers, etc.

A good rule of thumb is just not to put anything out there you wouldn't want your worst enemy to see. You may be able to secure your computer, but who knows what happens to to the things you send on their journey as well as what fate they'll meet when they arrive at their destination.

Of course, there's encrypted email and messaging, but how many Joe Average internet users are capable of taking that initiative and setting it up for themselves?

It sucks, but it's the face of the Internet these days.
 
So am I the only one that this bothers? Is every conversation i've ever had as well as everyone else's stored on their server or something?
 
you could use yahoo messanger.... but then again, its gay.

I use DEADAim but since I dont update b/c deadaim will no longer work then, these dont apply to me.
 
Like I said in the locked thread, this is really crappy, but they are providing a free service that you don't have to use. It was up you to use their service as a means to transfer your MP3s or tell your private stories.
 
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3082956

There's a bit more than meets the eye to this.. apparently person-to-person chats are not monitored..

In a subsequent phone conversation, Weinstein said that AOL does not monitor AIM traffic, and does not store it. A record of an AIM communication is not saved in any storage medium at AOL, he said.

"AOL does not read person-to-person communications," he said flatly.
Click to expand...

This is getting interesting.. storing conversations would be maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassive on their servers. I deleted my logs tonight, and just me alone it totaled around 60mb.
 
So in other words, its pretty much exactly the same TOS that you agree to to post here (or anywhere, really.) Pretty much standard stuff.

From the CheapAssGamer.com Terms of Service and Privacy Policy:
By posting any Content on the Site, you grant (or warrant that the owner of such rights has expressly granted) to Management the perpetual, non-exclusive, world-wide, sublicensable, royalty-free and fully paid license to use any or all of the Content you post, in its original or edited form, in radio programs, television programs, books, articles, commentaries, or in any other medium now known or later developed.

I suspect that they don't really want most of the stuff that gets posted here in the VS. forum, though :p
 
I fully expect to lose any of those rights when I post on a message board. We're already putting out our words for anyone's consumption. We're doing it on someone else's bandwidth, someone elses server and someone elses matinence efforts.

When it's on IGN, CAG, freerepublic.com, gamerankings.com or anywhere else I post I know and don't care if they use my writings. Chances are they never will though.

I just think that IM's are the internet equivilent of a phone call between private parties. If MCI, AT&T, Verizon, BellSouth, Cingular or anyone else put this claim in their TOS the FCC and justice department would be on them like stink on shit.

Scorch was right about one thing. There's no way AOL is storing IM's on their servers. If he just deleted 60MB from his logs I'm sure there are teenagers and heavy users that may even have GB's of logged chats. Plus, unless you're using AOL as your ISP AIM names are as generic and anonymous as anything on the net. Sure they could log your IP address to try to find out who you are but for what purpose?

It's still a chilling thought that someone with such a growingly important role in daily life stated they COULD do this and be within their rights as a service provider. Are they going to do it? With tens of millions of users, unlikely, however it's scary that they worded this the way they did.
 
[quote name='PittsburghAfterDark']I fully expect to lose any of those rights when I post on a message board. We're already putting out our words for anyone's consumption. We're doing it on someone else's bandwidth, someone elses server and someone elses matinence efforts.

When it's on IGN, CAG, freerepublic.com, gamerankings.com or anywhere else I post I know and don't care if they use my writings. Chances are they never will though.

I just think that IM's are the internet equivilent of a phone call between private parties. If MCI, AT&T, Verizon, BellSouth, Cingular or anyone else put this claim in their TOS the FCC and justice department would be on them like stink on shit.

Scorch was right about one thing. There's no way AOL is storing IM's on their servers. If he just deleted 60MB from his logs I'm sure there are teenagers and heavy users that may even have GB's of logged chats. Plus, unless you're using AOL as your ISP AIM names are as generic and anonymous as anything on the net. Sure they could log your IP address to try to find out who you are but for what purpose?

It's still a chilling thought that someone with such a growingly important role in daily life stated they COULD do this and be within their rights as a service provider. Are they going to do it? With tens of millions of users, unlikely, however it's scary that they worded this the way they did.[/quote]

Ok, I'm finally recovering from the shock of agreeing with you. Though, on a personal level, I don't really care. I'm not a very secretive person anyway so I really don't care what some stranger knows about me, that is unless something I said was used in court against me, then I'd care.
 
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