SLExchange and SecondServer privacy policy

Recently question was brought up on forum about privacy of data collected with vendor machines and on websites that are connected to one central database. This was especially related to new SLExchange and SecondServer service, since those two service could potentially soon be collecting a lot of data about many people and what they buy, sell etc.

SecondServer team reacted ameding their terms of use agreement with privacy section: http://www.secondserver.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=41

Thanks Adam and gang for quick reaction

Also promised is that next version of in world vendor have some feature to tell customer what happen with data.

So this now bring up two questions.

First question is to the SLExchange team: How about privacy policy of SLExchange? What happens with data you collect about website sales? Will you add similar section to your terms of use legal statement?

The second question is to everybody concerned about privacy and preventing data monopolies: Do you believe the section SecondServer team added to their terms of use solve or sufficiently reduce problem? Is there anything else that could be done to make SecondServer product better safer and better guarantee nothing negative happens with data?

Anshe this was answered (12-13-2004, 10:24 AM) to you at this thread, and Im posting Apotheus's answer:

/120/64/29735/4.html#post302776


And yes we are developing a Privacy Policy for SLExchange.com.




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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anshe Chung

Privacy issues is one important aspect if you want compare services. So I would like to know what data both services collect and what means we have to ensure that data is not abused.

I would also like know if only SecondServer tries make people use spy vendors or if SLExchange does similar thing. If one does and the other doesn't, then this would certainly influence my choice of service.

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Anshe, SL Exchange collects sales data for items purchased at the website. This sales data is made available to each respective merchant for their own records and we will probably use it in the future to make aggregate statistics available to the community. Sales data is also used to build the Popular Items list that you see when you first enter the Marketplace.

We do not currently and do not plan to use this data to gain an unfair advantage in knowing which items sell best and corner niche markets.
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Does Anshe have a privacy policy for her malls and sims?

If so, where would we find it?

Thanks.

Merwan, I hope you change this to "We will never" instead of "do not currently and do not plan" in your privacy policy. I take pride in protecting the privacy of my own website users (it's my living), and from how I know you, I'm pretty sure you do too.

Other than that, Anshe brings up a valid concern. Some may think she is a bit paranoid, but the concern is still valid. A written statement about how our business data is used is not much to ask for.

Thanks for confirming that a privacy policy will be in place soon.

Merwan, when do you think you will have your policy ready? Forum post is one thing, but I think in this case legaly binding statement is of more value.




I don't collect any data other than what software of Linden Lab already collect for me automatically (transaction history). This data I don't share with any other person.

I guess I'm confused - I see demands for public policy statements for websites, but not for similar commerce in-world. What makes these two environments exclusive where we have your word you aren't, yet the webmasters are being asked to publicize policy statements?

Please help me understand, as I would've thought your response would be "Here, I have my policy on this notecard/website/etc..".

What am I missing?

You are missing that I don't have the technical means installed to collect any relevant amount of data. And those things that I could think of, such as secretly collect data with sensor script and such I think actually violate the Second Life TOS.

But if at least three people ask me to publicize privacy policy I can do of course.

Why would it require three? You posed the question yourself to get an answer from the web commerce services, why is this different? Again, you want me to rely on your word that you don't, but since you can't trust the web-commerce administrators for their word, and require they post policy statements, why doesn't this apply to you?

I'm confused, because it seems you are trying to establish adherence to some common standard of conduct, yet the same rules aren't applied to the one asking. How is that even remotely fair or viable?

I eagerly await your replies to this most urgent issue.

Sorry, Maxx. But if you aren't trolling or trying to distract I suggest you start another thread about privacy issue in my business if there is anything you are concerned with. Maybe you also have more general concern applying to all mall business in Second Life or all major land owners.

This thread is about two businesses who are known for collecting huge amount of data and storing it in one central database. I would like this thread remain on topic. I hope you can understand.

This thread is about commerce data and policy statements. If you have no such statement, then I don't see how any standards can be applied to services that mirror yours, regardless of their hosting means.

I suppose I could understand if you prefer not to reveal your business practices, however in this case I thought you were trying to achieve a common goal, which wouldn't compromise your business at all, but in fact build even more trust behind it.

I'm sadly disappointed that this isn't the case, although I'm hoping you see the contradiction in logic between your demands for policy statements, yet you publish none (as of this date) yourself. Is this the way to run a business? Non-equivalent compliance?

So, to summarize:

We're asked to trust your business practices completely with no policy statement disclosure. (as of this posting)

We're supposed to agree that web commerce owners must post policy statements, even if your business empire is the same, and the opportunities for the same commerce data collection exist through various means.

If you would like to apply the same standards to commerce generally, again I put the question to you, why (as of this posting) do you not have to comply to the same standards you ask web commerce to?

Again, I appreciate any resolution to this perplexing contradiction.

Anshe Chung Corporation data collection and privacy policy 1.0

As business corporation we collect data about business transaction that occure directly beween customers and our corporation. We also record visits to our events. Other forms of data collection do not occure.

Data about business transactions is stored in our central accounting database. It is the same data collected automatically by the system and available via the so-called transaction history on www.secondlife.com. None of this data is used for any purposes other than our internal account or made available to third parties.

Data about event visits, as collected in visitor counters during an event, is transmitted to Linden Lab when claiming event support. It is not permanently stored nor used for any other purpose.

We do not track sales or visits to stores that we rented out to retailers nor do we collect or store any other relevant data not mentioned above.

I appreciate your response on this issue, and look forward to updated policies as the business changes, much like the web-commerce sites no doubt will.

Various courts have held that a website's privacy policy is not legally binding.

Ouch, this is not good. I didn't know that. Well, I don't know much about legal things at all. Do you know what would be needed to make such policy legaly binding?

Duct tape, I think.

I will answer this since I am tasked with the job of getting our privacy policy on the website.

Our formalized privacy policy should be posted to the website within two weeks. All forum discussions aside, this particular task was started just before our official launch. Legal consultation seems to not be all that abundant this time of year so it is taking a little longer than expected.

I am not a lawyer, but I think sticking the privacy policy into the terms of service as part of the company's obligations would do the job.