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A big amazon is watching you

When an allegedly well-meaning scientist creates an invention that is meant to make life easier for humankind, the invention turns against him and threatens the very people it was designed to help. Sound familiar? The story of Amazon's privacy-infringing Alexa software might not look like a Frankenstein story on the surface, but according to security expert Richard M. Smith, the similarities are close enough. Apparently, the software for Amazon's new comparison-shopping service is much more effective at tracking customer activity than it's said to be--so effective, in fact, that if you're one of the unlucky shoppers to be caught in its thrall, your name, phone number, address, and more can get harvested by Alexa. Will justice side with Smith or super e-tailer? Get the story here. (Note: You will have to register--for free--to the New York Times on the Web in order to view this article.)

Thu, 30 Dec 1999 08:35:49 -0800