New York Sues Gratis Internet

New York Attorney General Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today sued Gratis Internet for selling the "user records" of as many as 7 million people, in violation of their promises to keep such information confidential. If proved, Gratis' actions would apparently constitute the largest intentional breach of a privacy policy ever successfully prosecuted.

Although Gratis' websites, such as freeipods.com, include statements such as "We will never give out, sell or lend your name or information to anyone," and "We will never lend, sell or give out for any reason your e-mail address or personal information.", Spitzer alleges that Gratis made such information available to three separate e-mail marketers, after which "hundreds of millions" of e-mail solicitations were sent.

Gratis Internet has called the charges "completely untrue", specifically denying any transactions with an e-mail marketing company called Datran Media, which last week agreed to pay $1.1 million dollars and change its data collection practices to settle a lawsuit filed last week accusing it of illegal data-mining practices.

One good lesson here is that if you're going to give any information to any possibly-sketchy company -- give them a "disposable" e-mail address -- one you're only using for that company. That is, if you want to deal at all with a company that sets off your spidey sense.

Blue Rodeo - Trust Yourself (from Greatest Hits, etc.)