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http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/01/18/apple.explains.ministore/

Apple addresses iTunes 'MiniStore' privacy

updated 11:05 am EST, Wed January 18, 2006

Apple explains MiniStore

Apple has responded to users claims that its iTunes software on January 10th, but two days later avid Mac users discovered that the software quietly communicated information over the internet, both to Apple and to a company based in Orem, Utah. The MiniStore was activated by default in iTunes previously, but has now been deactivated until users choose to activate the feature. [updated]

Apple's iTunes 6.02 now displays the following note via its interface: "The iTunes MiniStore allows you to discover new music and videos right from your iTunes Library. As you select items in your Library, information about that item is sent to Apple and the MiniStore will show you related songs or videos. Apple does not keep any information related to the contents of your music Library."

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by MacNN Staff

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greenergrad
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2001

0

01/18, 11:23am | report spam | close Reply |
feature request

When Apple introduced the "Just for you" suggestions area of the iTunes Music Store I sent a feature request to have the suggestion engine offer to scan a user's library so the suggestions were more relevant. In my request, I specifically said that this feature would need to respect a user's privacy and make it clear what data was being captured, how it was being used, and how to discard it.

I'm amused that Apple has now introduced a similar but definitely half-assed version of the suggestion. Theirs not only didn't initially respect privacy, but also creates a network traffic headache for corporate users as it transmits data each time a user changes songs. Thanks, Apple.

PHoynak
Grizzled Veteran

Joined: Oct 2000

0

01/18, 11:43am | report spam | close Reply |
Not A Big Deal

No need to panic. Apple always had a way for us to turn this feature off. Now they just made it easier. They are no Microsoft and this is not spyware in the least.

jimothy
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2000

0

01/18, 11:46am | report spam | close Reply |
re: feature request

Note that it only generates network traffic (and a small amount, at that) when you select on a song with the mini-store showing. When one song ends and the next begins playing, it does not send a request. So unless you have a habit of rapidly clicking from song to song, you're not going to generate a significant amount of traffic. Much less than you do by reading articles at MacNN, for instance.

And the privacy concerns are overblown, too.

piracy
Mac Elite

Joined: Mar 2001

0

01/18, 12:08pm | report spam | close Reply |
*sigh*

1. The show/hide button is not new. It has always been present in iTunes 6.0.2.

2. The knowledge base article that explains just this has been available since the day iTunes 6.0.2 was released

3. What is "new" is that Apple, via the iTunes MiniStore interface, is now giving users the opportunity to "opt in" or disable it.

iomatic
Mac Elite

Joined: Oct 1999

0

01/18, 12:10pm | report spam | close Reply |
Puhlease.

Generating network traffic? Come on. So web browsers should prevent people from surfing for all the traffic they generate. Oh, and sending emails too!

This is not 1982, greenergrad. If a corporation can't get a 10/100/1000 switch in place, maybe they shouldn't have those fandangled PCs.

mjtomlin
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 1999

0

01/18, 12:12pm | report spam | close Reply |
not spyware

This is by no means spyware. Be definition spyware is code that watches what you do and reports on it without ever letting you know that it is there, ergo 'spy'

The mini-store feature in iTunes is in plain sight and it obviously reflects choices that you make when clicking on songs in your library. If you never click on a song, it never updates.

testudo
Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2001

0

01/18, 12:15pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: sigh

1. The show/hide button is not new. It has always been present in iTunes 6.0.2. Except it was on by default, didn't inform the user that his data (including both song AND user ID) was being sent over the internet, and the ability to hide it wasn't clear.

2. The knowledge base article that explains just this has been available since the day iTunes 6.0.2 was released

Great for all you nimrods who do nothing but read knowledge base articles. But since most people don't know that, when they download a minor update to a piece of software, they should first go to apple.com, and read all knowledge base articles related to it.

3. What is "new" is that Apple, via the iTunes MiniStore interface, is now giving users the opportunity to "opt in" or disable it.

Right, which is what they should've done to begin with.

pharmacopoeia
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2001

0

01/18, 12:25pm | report spam | close Reply |
I like it!

Really man, now that the iTunes store is huge (and growing) it is too hard for me to root around for new tunes that i might like. Now with the ministore i see tunes from artists i know and like (since they're in my library) and i can see they're latest (or older) works and buy them on the spot! How cool! Thanks apple!

testudo
Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2001

0

01/18, 12:25pm | report spam | close Reply |
Not MS and traffic

No need to panic. Apple always had a way for us to turn this feature off. Now they just made it easier. They are no Microsoft and this is not spyware in the least.

Yeah, because if they were microsoft, they'd pass along personal identifying info and data without telling you. Oh, wait, that is what they did. But its apple, so I'm sure they wrote in their notices that your information is discarded. Oh, they didn't do that, either. Again, how was this NOT spyware?

This is by no means spyware. Be definition spyware is code that watches what you do and reports on it without ever letting you know that it is there, ergo 'spy'

I'm sorry, where did Apple say they were letting you know they were phoning home? Don't give me this "Well, you'd be stupid to think they weren't" c***. Many would tell you, if they don't tell you, its spyware.

generating network traffic? Come on. So web browsers should prevent people from surfing for all the traffic they generate. Oh, and sending emails too!

Web browsers are expected to generate web traffic. You factor that into your networking infrastructure. However, if iTunes gets deployed because the network people don't realize its generating network traffic, then its unexpected and thus adds to total networking cost (and, by the way, companies don't usually just pay $100 a month flat fee for their internet access).

Then again, I guess all you "this is no big deal" people are also 100% for MS's activation scheme (since it just phone's home once, and it tells you), or any other software that connects to the internet when you launch it or do things.

Rincewind
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2000

0

01/18, 12:42pm | report spam | close Reply |
Oh good lord...

Come on, everyone complaining about this feature needs to take a step back and think about what they are saying.

What does it take to implement a "users that liked X also liked" option. Hmm. Send the name of the song to someone that know the info. Get the response back. That's it.

No Personal information (aside from your IP which is sent anytime you access the internet anyway). No huge amount of traffic (unless you consider a webpage a lot of traffic). Updates only on *user activity* - i.e. it won't send data without you doing something specific.

Everyone complaining about it fails to realize that it is really just a fancy web page. What would be the difference if you went to www.myfavoritetunes.com and put in the name of a song? It'd be the exact same thing except less convenient.

And if you used the feature and didn't think it would be using the internet, then you are simply naive. Where else would you think the information would be coming from huh?

testudo
Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2001

0

01/18, 01:00pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: oh good lord

No Personal information (aside from your IP which is sent anytime you access the internet anyway). No huge amount of traffic (unless you consider a webpage a lot of traffic). Updates only on *user activity* - i.e. it won't send data without you doing something specific.

Except, according to the notes people wrote when they first discovered this, it sends back an ID code (which probably translates to your itunes ID) as well as your current selection.

And what's to stop them from changing this in v6.0.3 to send your currently playing song vs. the song you clicked on? And, again, there was NO explanation anywhere that says exactly what they send, where it goes, and what they do with it once they get it.

Why should we have to get packet sniffers to find out what is and isn't being sent out everytime a company sends out a minor (yes, its a freakin x.y.z update, which shouldn't even include this type of change) update of their software. So, based on past experience, every update to iTunes will have to be put on hold until we find out whether Apple's now sending along playlist data, playcounts, Quicken files, etc.

(And doesn't anyone remember the credit card authorizsation center that was hacked and information was stolen, information that wasn't even

But, I know, again, its apple, I'm sure they're doing exactly what they say, regardless of whether they put it in writing...

Rincewind
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2000

0

01/18, 01:16pm | report spam | close Reply |
re; oh good lord

Fine, it sends an ID code too - do you know if it sends the same ID code from everyone or a different code per person? Maybe it's just a code that identifies the user as Apple/iTunes! Remember, it wasn't sending directly to Apple, but to a service that is used by the iTMS. Presumably others are using it to, so you need to identify which library to inspect.

Really, there is a knowledge base article explaining what it does. Will most people read it? No, but most people won't give a damn how the service works either. For those that do, you have the knowledge.

It's in Apple's best interest to disclose what they are doing (even if they don't disclose all the details) because if someone comes along later and proves that they are being more nefarious it will be splattered all over the news sites. Bad publicity is not worth it.

Frankly, I don't get the huge paranoia that people have with things that are barely coupled with them. After all, how many people have a copy of "Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five For Fighting from the America Town CD on their computer? How many of them have it rated 5 Stars and played at least 100 times?

There is far worse things that are sent over the internet without my knowledge. And generally these things are sent by things that try desperately to hide their presence.

And before we go down the "this is the start of a slippery slope" argument, no it is not. Send songs I select in my playlist over the internet, or my entire library I don't really care. But send my credit card number and I'll care. But when you worry about every little thing that comes along, you do 2 things: you lose time to worry about the things you should be worried about, and you jade everyone else that you want worrying about the big things such that they stop caring about those too.

This is a little thing. It can be turned off. You even have the tools to see when iTunes sends that data. I'm not about to pull out a packet sniffer and decode the data unless I have reason to believe I should. And Apple hasn't given me *any* reason to think I should.

yticolev
Forum Regular

Joined: May 2002

0

01/18, 02:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
privacy

I don't know that no personal information is being sent. It may be hard to avoid it. iTunes store definitely seems to recognize you when you visit, and you now can even customize that experience.

And if there is any identifying information at all (including IP addresses), currently the government can access those databases at Apple without a warrant and without you being notified. For most of us that is not a problem even with an actual invasion of privacy. But what if you name is similar to a terrorist, and you then are tracked by your love of Islamic music, and then stashed in a jail indefinitely. Similar things have already happened.

kentuckyfried
Senior User

Joined: Jan 2002

0

01/18, 02:49pm | report spam | close Reply |
google....

is a greater source of evil in terms of tracking things.

I like the new mini-store alot. Makes finding things a bit easier, in some ways.

tomodachi
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2002

0

01/18, 04:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
lordy

testudo

>> And what's to stop them from changing this in v6.0.3 to send your currently playing song vs. the song you clicked on?

Hear hear! The man speaks wisely.

And what's to stop Apple from changing this in v. 6.0.4 to send all your credit card info and internet passwords stored in your keychain BEFORE it rm -rfs your whole effing Hard Drive!!!?

We should stop using Apple computers right this effing moment!!!!! You just can't trust ANYONE these days.

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Apple addresses iTunes 'MiniStore' privacy

updated 11:05 am EST, Wed January 18, 2006

Apple explains MiniStore

feature request

Not A Big Deal

re: feature request

sigh

Puhlease.

not spyware

Re: sigh

I like it!

Not MS and traffic

Oh good lord...

Re: oh good lord

re; oh good lord

privacy

google....

lordy

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Apple addresses iTunes 'MiniStore' privacy

updated 11:05 am EST, Wed January 18, 2006

Apple explains MiniStore

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feature request

Not A Big Deal

re: feature request

*sigh*

Puhlease.

not spyware

Re: sigh

I like it!

Not MS and traffic

Oh good lord...

Re: oh good lord

re; oh good lord

privacy

google....

lordy

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