ReachCustomersOnline.com

Revealed: How RIAA tracks downloaders

Posted by TimSlavin at August 28, 2003

Revealed: How RIAA tracks downloaders: "The recording industry is providing its most detailed glimpse into some of the detective-style techniques it has employed as part of its secretive campaign against online music swappers." Scary stuff, honestly. Downloaders are presumed guilty in effect because the RIAA has decided (and the courts and government have not stepped in to referee a balance of interests) that 100% of downloads are illegal and therefore they have the right to spy on your computer files and online activity without notification or any oversight. What is to stop other companies and industries from making similar claims? The latest issue of Technology Review has an interesting column in this vein, The Customer As Enemy. The money spent terrorizing music buyers, some number who may be innocent, could have been spent creating viable product alternatives. Unfortunately, until governments act online activity is at risk for privacy violations at the whim of companies and industries, on their terms. There's a great discussion of this story on Slashdot.

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