[zetetic]

Originally Posted by JTMON

Yes but Bira also said this:

"However, once you take measures that actively violate the privacy of a user -- for example, install software that will allow you to read their personal communication - you are no longer within the bounds of "reasonable violation".

Guess nobody is allowed to install PHPMyAdmin because that would allow them to read your personal info...I also used Bira post OF the law and believe I referenced the points on how this hack does NOT even fall under that law....

And as Bira explained to you then (which is the reason I already told you on the last page that I don't think your phpMyAdmin argument is effective):

Originally Posted by bira

The law distinguishes between passive and active privacy violation.

Storing information on your server is passive. It is reasonable that a service provider will have the information stored on its server, and therefore it is reasonable to assume that someone with access could view that information.

However, once you take measures that actively violate the privacy of a user -- for example, install software that will allow you to read their personal communication - you are no longer within the bounds of "reasonable violation".

BTW..you may be interested to know that it would seem a privacy policy does NOT constitute a contract between your users and yourself. Northwestern airlines outright VIOLATED their stated policy and the judge threw the case against them out...and those people SHARED their data with OTHER COMPANIES.....read more here:

http://news.com.com/Judge+tosses+onl...l?tag=nefd.top

That is interesting, thanks. It illuminates a pretty serious failing of American privacy law IMO. However, where in that article does it say "a privacy policy does NOT constitute a contract between your users and yourself"? All I found is that the judge deemed the case had no merit "in part because the privacy policy posted on the airline's Web site was unenforceable unless plaintiffs claimed to have read it. " Obviously that doesn't apply to vBulletin, since in order to register people have to click a box that indicates that they have read the policies.