AIM 0wnZ ur ch4t d00d!

[denny]

Taken from http://www.spywareinfo.com/newsletter/archives/2005/mar13.php

the terms of service for their AIM instant messenger program have been updated recently. These new terms (http://www.benstanfield.com/thrash/2005/03/aol_eavesdrops_.html) are rather hostile to their users. The new terms give AOL the right to eavesdrop on instant message chats and to use those messages in any way they see fit. They explicitly deny their users any right to privacy over the AIM network.

All I can say is not to use the AIM network for chatting. Use ICQ*, MSN**, Yahoo** or Jabber. There *are* other instant messenger networks out there. And even if you aren't using the AIM program, if you use a program such as GAIM or Trillian to chat over AOL's network, the terms still apply to you. So be careful what you say to someone if you are using AOL's network. You could find it published somewhere by AOL.

* ICQ is owned by AOL, and is covered by the same T&C as AIM.
** see comments.

Comments

[codepope.livejournal.com]

Yeah, use MSN, with ...

However, we may monitor your communications and disclose information about you, including the content of your communications, if we consider it necessary to: (1) comply with the law or to respond to legal process; (2) ensure your compliance with this contract; or (3) protect the rights, property, or interests of Microsoft, its employees, its customers, or the public.

in it's EULA http://messenger.msn.com/Help/Terms.aspx

And you get a similar effect to AOL's TOC with Yahoo as they use one boilerplate TOC for content on their online systems and messages passing over their IM networks.

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna have to be carefull here...Denny will probably get the gist of what I'm saying...
< coughs > ok here we go...er ..part of my living is shining big bright lights in the sky, as I'm sure you will appreciate, there are guidance rulles and regs about doing this.
There is no real license , but certification or approval of operandus can be gained ( which i have ) < coughs> as you can imagine, not all of this is controlled by civilian operations or civil serveants...
After a while of shining big lights in the sky, we were offered < ahem> to hold information on things that fly on a regular bassis.
In order for us to have that information there are obviously some rules / criteria, one of which is that M*N chat program is not allowed to be stored or run on the same pc as the " sensitive " information. ( Which to me implies a security risk in the way that program operates ) ( Only my perception of the information of course )

What I do find strange is that I*Q is / was recommended as an alternative.
My copy of the directive is about 3 years old, but I still receive updates which have not mentioned I*Q

So it is interesting to see that I*Q are owned by the same people...Maybe it just makes spying on people who shine big bright lights in the sky, and have information on " things that fly " easier to spy on, if they all use the same approved chat program ? < shrugs >