Hi all! Richard Smith wrote: > Serious privacy problems in Windows Media Player for Windows XP > [...] > In particular, the privacy problems with WMP version 8 are: > > - Each time a new DVD movie is played on a computer, the WMP software > contacts a Microsoft Web server to get title and chapter information for > the DVD. When this contact is made, the Microsoft Web server is giving > an electronic fingerprint which identifies the DVD movie being watched Microsoft might argue, that this is a "service" for the user similar to the one CDDB has been providing for audio CDs for years. > and a cookie which uniquely identifies a particular WMP player. With > this two pieces of information Microsoft can track what DVD movies are > being watched on a particular computer. _This_ on the other hand is an unfriendly attack on anyones privacy. Does someone know if CDDB does similar things? > - The WMP software also builds a small database on the computer hard > drive of all DVD movies that have been watched on the computer. Well, again, just like CDDB does - I'd consider this a feature as long as I get to control the content of the DB and no one but me can peek inside. > - As of Feb. 14, 2002, the Microsoft privacy policy for WMP version 8 > does not disclose that the fact that WMP "phones home" to get DVD title > information, what kind of tracking Microsoft does of which movies > consumers are watching, and how cookies are used by the WMP software and > the Microsoft servers. Neither does the README file for any CD player application, I have tried so far. > - There does not appear to be any option in WMP to stop it from phoning > home when a DVD movie is viewed. In addition, there does not appear any > easy method of clearing out the DVD movie database on the local hard > drive. This, again, is _very_ bad practice. CDDB was just my first thought when I read your post and I haven't seen anyone complaining about that service in the last couple of years. The cookie issue needs to be addressed at the very least, though. Regards, Patrick M. Hausen Technical Director -- punkt.de GmbH Internet - Dienstleistungen - Beratung Scheffelstr. 17 a Tel. 0721 9109 -0 Fax: -100 76135 Karlsruhe http://punkt.de
