Michael Liedtke of Associated Press reports:
Yahoo Inc. is hoping to turn on a new sharing option in its popular e-mail service without shocking users who prize their privacy.
That’s why the Internet company is advising its 280 million e-mail accountholders to review their privacy settings along with their incoming messages.
Yahoo posted the privacy reminder this week as it prepares to unveil new features that will share its e-mail users’ online activities and interests with people listed in their address books unless they take steps to prevent the information from being broadcast. The new sharing tools will be appearing in people’s e-mail accounts this month.
Read more here.
This sounds to me like a privacy disaster in the making. This should have been opt-in.
What about people who don’t log in to their email often? They’re going to have their details shared without ever having an opportunity to make the necessary privacy changes. What about people who signed up for nothing more than email and understand nothing more than how to send and receive email?
This is a bad move.