Gamom3 Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Someone e-mailed this to me... Please note the message below. I found that although I had opted out previously, I needed to follow the instructions and opt out again. Yahoo is Tracking Group Members If you belong to ANY Yahoo Groups - be aware that Yahoo is now using "Web Beacons" to track every Yahoo Group user. It's similar to cookies, but allows Yahoo to record every website and every group you visit, even when you're not connected to Yahoo. Look at their updated privacy statement at <http://info.'>http://info.'>http://info.'>http://info. yahoo.com/ privacy/us/ yahoo/details. html> http://info. yahoo.com/ privacy/us/ yahoo/details. html About half-way down the page, in the section on *cookies*, you will see a link that says *WEB BEACONS*. Click on the phrase "Web Beacons." On the page that opens, on the left find a box entitled "Opt-Out." In that section find "opt-out of interest-matched advertising" link that will let you "opt-out" of their snooping. Click it and then click the opt-out button on the next page. Note that Yahoo's invasion of your privacy - and your ability to opt-out of it - is not user-specific. It is MACHINE specific. That means you will have to opt-out on every computer (and browser) you use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Thank you for the information- I just did this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jejily Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Wow, I had no idea. Thanks for this information! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I really wonder... what's the big deal if yahoo knows what websites I visit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 This isn't on Snopes yet but it should be. No need to worry about this. A web beacon doesn't do what the email claims. It is used to tell if you've opened an email somebody sent you or simply deleted it. Web beacons don't and CAN'T track your activity on the net. Here's a link with all the detals of what web beacons actually are and do: http://www.privacyclue.com/index.php/20051215/anti-yahoo-urban-legend-circles/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 This is what Yahoo says a web beacon is....(bolding mine) "Web pages may contain an electronic file called a web beacon, that allows a web site to count users who have visited that page or to access certain cookies Yahoo! uses web beacons to conduct research on behalf of certain partners on their web sites and also for auditing purposes. Information recorded through these web beacons is used to report anonymous individual and/or aggregate information about Yahoo! users to our partners. Aggregate information may include demographic and usage information. No personally identifiable information about you is shared with partners from this research. When conducting research that collects personal information Yahoo!'s practice is to require partners to disclose the presence of web beacons in their privacy policies and state what choices are available to users regarding the collection and use of this information. You may choose to opt-out (link to opt-out page) of Yahoo! using this information" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I also received this email. I wasn't sure if it was something to worry about or not but decieded to change the setting anyway just in case.It was easy to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I really wonder... what's the big deal if yahoo knows what websites I visit? Yeah, that's generally how I feel about it... I mean, the servers at Yahoo know, there aren't committees meeting to discuss my surfing habits. And, in the most invasive way possible, this could mean that embedded, dynamic ads on yahoo pages will show me things like... I have no idea... books?... instead of life insurance for retired people. Whatever. Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, my personal feeling, when people claim that "someone" at NSA could be listening to my every phone call, is that I would feel really bad for the person who has that job. There are times when I am bored by my phone calls. (And, also, I haven't had curtains on my kitchen windows for a year and a half and don't care if the neighbors can see in, and there are sheers on our bathroom window because, if those neighbors climb up onto their roof to see in, they deserve something of a view - possibly much better than the one they're getting. :D) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Yeah, that's generally how I feel about it... I mean, the servers at Yahoo know, there aren't committees meeting to discuss my surfing habits. And, in the most invasive way possible, this could mean that embedded, dynamic ads on yahoo pages will show me things like... I have no idea... books?... instead of life insurance for retired people. Whatever. Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, my personal feeling, when people claim that "someone" at NSA could be listening to my every phone call, is that I would feel really bad for the person who has that job. There are times when I am bored by my phone calls. (And, also, I haven't had curtains on my kitchen windows for a year and a half and don't care if the neighbors can see in, and there are sheers on our bathroom window because, if those neighbors climb up onto their roof to see in, they deserve something of a view - possibly much better than the one they're getting. :D) Great minds think alike!:lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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