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January 13, 2006

Is Yahoo! spying on you?

If you belong to any Yahoo! group--beware.

Yahoo! is using a tool called a "web beacon". These web beacons allow Yahoo! to track any member of any Yahoo! group.

Web beacons are similar to "cookies" (cookies are placed on your computer so a site can remember your computer when you revisit). Using the web beacon, Yahoo can record every website you visit.

You don't have to be connected to Yahoo! for them to use this invasive tool.

The Yahoo! privacy statement contains its information on the web beacons. If you scroll down to the section on cookies you'll find a link entitled "web beacons".

You can opt out of the web beacons. If you click on the "web beacons link, you'll find the specific info on the tool and it's uses. Scroll down to the paragraph with the heading Outside the Yahoo! Network. The second bullet point contains a clickable link that allows for opting out.

*****WARNING*****Once you've opted out, be careful to NOT click the button that appears on the next page. It will opt you back in.

Posted by Carla at January 13, 2006 01:32 PM