To produce the whole of the privacy statement, together with the ETrust
material, which it needs to be read in conjunction with would produce rather
a lengthy e-mail.
The full statement is located at : http://www.zdnet.com/filters/privacy/
One of the pertinent sections is :-
"ZDNet uses reasonable precautions to keep the information disclosed to us
secure and to disclose such information only to third parties we believe to
be responsible. However, we are not responsible for any breach of security
or for any actions of any third parties which receive the information. ZDNet
also links to a wide variety of other sites and contains advertisements of
third parties. We are not responsible for their privacy policies or how they
treat information about their users. "
Even though the ZDNET are showing some responsibility towards customer
privacy by becoming ETrust acreddited it seems difficult to see what
'reasonable precautions' exist in this particular process, where anybody
obtaining an e-mail address can check the details of subscriptions that
e-mail address may have with that supplier. More secure sites seem to use
password or cookie password filters to secure the data.
Is the cause a culture difference, lax commercial security, or lack of
sensitivity to customer privacy concerns? I would guess the most important
from ZDNETs perspective to be lax commercial security, as the customer data
will probably be seen as a commercial asset. Having identified the issue to
ZDNET no response has yet been received. Will keep the group posted.
Ian W
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2001 10:19 AM
Subject: RE: Online Subscriptions
> what does the privacy statement say as to the use of your data
>
> C
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 24 May 2001 20:31
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Online Subscriptions
>
>
> Have recently had cause to change some of my on-line subscription
> information held by zdnet.com.
>
> To achieve the change I was directed to:-
>
> http://www.zdnet.com/filters/email/welcome/
>
> which is an open site, not requiring any cookies or other apparent
identity
> check.
>
> Once on that page you are asked to enter you e-mail address only, this
then
> takes you to your electronic subscription management page, where you make
> any necessary alterations to your listed subscriptions.
>
> The site has a privacy statement, with a very wide disclaimers, and is an
> accredited Trust-e validated privacy practice site.
>
> Assuming the site, being a .com, is likely to be physically located in the
> USA, what implications are there for this practice to customers within the
> EEA?
>
> Do people give consent when they subscribe, for the worldwide availability
> of their reading habits, to anybody who cares to enquire?
>
> Given that people are not advised of this generous and apparently open
> availability of their information when they subscribe, and it is not in
any
> way obvious to the normal user, can anybody see how the DPA requirements
can
> be met?
>
> Nice one for ZDNETS e-journal business competitors :-)
>
>
> Ian W
>
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