March 14, 2005
AIM, your right to privacy and trust
It looks like Ben Stanfield started a blogstorm this weekend by pointing out a new(?) clause in AOL's AIM terms-of-service that states "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. You waive any right to privacy." AOL has been trying to stamp out the fire, and say the terms aren't meant to apply to person-to-person instant messenger, only to posting in public chat rooms, message boards and other public forums.
I think AOL is telling the truth here, but the more I think about it the less I think that matters. In the end my privacy over AIM relies on my trusting AOL; trusting them not to change their privacy policy without my noticing, trusting them to stand up for my rights if they receive an overly-broad subpoena and trusting them to secure their networks from snoopy employees. Over the past 10 years I've learned to be sparing in my trust of Internet companies. Luckily, there are alternatives that don't require that kind of trust. Time to get off my butt and finally start using that Jabber server I set up a while back, and to see how well Skype's encrypted IM and voice-messaging really works.
Update 3/18/05: I had thought only the Enterprise version of AIM supported encryption (and that may be AOL's intent), but apparently you can just create your own certificate and that'll work too. Thanks to Aleatha for the comment (and also for pointing out that the TOS has, in fact, been around for a year or so in this form).
On a related note, I also notice that iChat 3.0 (shipping with Mac OSX Tiger) will support Jabber as a standard protocol. Yay!
Posted by bug to Media Technology at March 14, 2005 1:02 PMThe TOS has apparently been in place for more than a year. I'm not sure if AOL notified anyone when they changed it, but it's not like this happened overnight.
One of the few things that I DO like about AIM is that it will support encrypted chat, which makes the privacy issue less of a concern. I actually prefer AIM over Yahoo for just that reason. However, I think the world would be a better place if I didn't have to rely on a large company for the security of my IM. :)
Posted by: Aleatha at March 14, 2005 3:40 PMI had thought that they only supported encryption in their Enterprise version (and that may be their intent), but apparently you can just create your own certificate and that'll work too. Thanks!
Posted by: Bug at March 18, 2005 6:12 PMBen Stanfield's middle name is "Slander." AOL is a good ISP that's getting beter.
Posted by: Frances at September 10, 2005 5:32 PMBen Stanfield is ancient history when it comes to coments about Apple and AOL and he's a REALLY malicious guy when it comes to trashing fellow Democrats who he doesn't happen to like.
Posted by: Darren at October 12, 2005 5:13 PMLately all Ben Stanfield does is troll from blog to blog posting four letter hate. Apparently he's the Democratic Party's Hate Troll for Northern Virginia.
Posted by: Cindy at December 3, 2005 4:03 PMBen Stanfiled is a defamer and liar. Jim Moran is OK. He stands up to Bush and wants the USA out of Iraq
Posted by: Jordan at September 14, 2007 1:55 PM