No more privacy on AIM

[Tidus Andronicus]

http://p2pnet.net/story/4205

What a dark day for AIM users... (including me, but I encrypt my conversations in gaim when I talk to other friends in Linux xD)

Monday 14th March 2005 - p2pnet.net News:
You no longer have any right to privacy if you use America Online's AIM software downloaded on or after February 5 last year.

AOL has re-written the terms of service which apply to the application giving itself the right to, "reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote" all content distributed across the chat network by users.

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 says.

“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.”

And, “You Must Agree to these Terms of Service to Use AIM Products,” it dictates.

That about says it...
So what do you think this means for AIM users? What could possibly come out of this?

I'll say that I'm not gonna be saying anything of importance on there anymore, I'll use things like ICQ, or Yahoo, or MSN... whatever is safer/popular. XD

*************
Slight update XD...:
http://p2pnet.net/story/4216

[Jojee]

I might have to move to MSN after all

[Galadrius]

It's not like were talking about WMDs or matters of national security on AIM or anything, so who cares if people can read your convos... you should save the super personal stuff for phone calls anyhow.

[Psychotic]

Good luck to them if they want to wade through the crap that most AOL users produce.

[Strider]

I'm pretty sure there's some First Amendment issues there. "You lose your right to privacy"?

At least they don't beat around the bush.

[Jojee]

It's not a right to privacy if they say you don't have it It's public, now.

Oh shieee... they're gonna find out I'm actually a man

[kikimm]

Eh, I hate AIM to begin with, but it's a silly idea.

[DMKA]

You mean AIM had some form of privacy?

I could care less, just like if they tapped my phone or anything else. So long as they aren't accessing info like my Social Security number, anyone can look through any of my conversations they want, so long as I don't know the person personally and have to face them the next day about something I didn't really want them to know I did with someone at a party last Saturday Night.

But yeah, like Psy said, good luck (and wtf) to going through all the "OMFG WHTSF LOLZ SARS OMFG GOTE SECKXS UR GAY LOL LOL LMAO" that me and PeeGee produce pages worth of in our aim conversations.

And all those AOL users too.

[Endless]

The date on the ToS is Feb 5, <b>2004</b>. Everyone already knows about you trading pictures now.

[Erdrick Holmes]

Why do they do this to me?

[Carnage]

There never was any privacy on AIM. Every single conversation is scanned for keywords such as bomb, kill, stuff like that.

[DMKA]

There never was any privacy on AIM. Every single conversation is scanned for keywords such as bomg, kill, stuff like that.

Seriously? Why haven't they came and hauled me and nik0tine off to the questioning compound yet?

[Rye]

Eh, I hardly use AIM anyways.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

I'll have to stop talking about plans for various works of writing and art then.

[Shlup]

Damn. This puts a kink in my plans. I will have to notify Big Boss of this.