Are the Webby Awards spamming their voters?

December 11, 2001 9:40 AM

Are the Webby Awards spamming their voters? Doesn't this violate their privacy policy? It sure looks like it does...
posted by insomnia_lj (13 comments total)

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posted by zempf at 9:46 AM on December 11, 2001

My bad. It showed up in my friends list this morning on LJ.
I will ask the person in question to make the entry public, since I think this is an important issue.

Here's what the entry shows:
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From: Variety
To: [e-mail]
Reply-To: Variety
Date: 10 Dec 2001, 08:03:35 PM
Subject: In just 30 seconds you can start a Variety.com 30-day free trial



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Attachment: text (2K)


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posted by insomnia_lj at 9:52 AM on December 11, 2001

Yes. Yes they are. And they must be punished.

Delivery-date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 18:05:46 -0800
From: Variety <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: In just 30 seconds you can start a Variety.com 30-day free trial
Originator: [e-mail] <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: Variety <[e-mail]>
posted by moss at 9:58 AM on December 11, 2001

I got this too. Thanks, Tiff (bitch).
posted by Hankins at 10:08 AM on December 11, 2001

Ah, thanks. What I don't get about their privacy policy is this:

We also collect demographic information in an optional People's Voice Survey. This information will be used for press and marketing opportunities, as well as shared with sponsors and partners of the Webby Awards. We will also share statistical information with third party vendors.

That paragraph indicates to me that yes, we'll be sharing your information with "sponsors and partners." However, this is followed up a few paragraphs later with:

Will the Webby Awards disclose the information it collects to outside parties?

The Webby Awards does not sell, rent, or share your personal information to others. We do allow our partners to provide you with news and special offers only if you have chosen to receive such information by opting-in to our distribution list. However, we do not share your personal information with our partners. If at any time you choose not to receive such notifications you may do so by sending your request to: [e-mail].


Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the two seem to be conflicting statements.
posted by zempf at 10:16 AM on December 11, 2001

zempf -- Usually, doesn't "demographic" information indicate more sort of market-researchy info? Like, the percentage of white brown-haired goatee-wearing under-35 males in a given zip code who subscribe to our service/buy our product etc etc? I didn't think it was ever used to denote "the email addresses of our users."

Am I just hopelessly, hopelessly naive?
posted by BT at 10:27 AM on December 11, 2001

While we're on the subject, did the webbys always charge for a website to be entered?

So the Webbys are making money from the entries and from selling site user information?

Heh.
posted by iceberg273 at 10:29 AM on December 11, 2001

It seems clear to me that they are breaking their own privacy policy, because while it is one thing to disclose demographic and statistical information, it is entirely different to disclose email addresses. They made it very clear in their policies that notifications would require opting in, not opting out...

Hm. Anyone want to shoot off an email to EPIC?
posted by insomnia_lj at 10:30 AM on December 11, 2001

BT: Nah, you're not naive, I just misread it. It does seem to be saying that they'll sell your demographic information, but not email addresses. Of course, I doubt there's a whole lot of legal recourse to be taken against them selling off email lists. I'm too lazy to look it up right now, but I seem to remember one of the defunct e-commerce toy companies trying to sell off their users' information in direct violation of their TOS.
posted by zempf at 11:21 AM on December 11, 2001

There's a difference between selling user info and "renting" a mailing list. Maybe a real subtle one, but it goes like this:

We maintain a listing of all our users, complete with their demographic info - and whether they have agreed to receive third-party info (you'd be surprised how many say yes).

A vendor rents our list, selecting the various demographic qualities he wants. He gives us his ad and we then send it out to people who match those specifications. The vendor never gets information on a specific user, let alone his e-mail address, unless the user responds to the e-mail and agrees to provide that info.

I suspect that's what the Webbys are doing and how they can claim not to be giving out user info.
posted by agaffin at 12:12 PM on December 11, 2001

But still...
"We do allow our partners to provide you with news and special offers only if you have chosen to receive such information by opting-in to our distribution list."

They aren't indicating that they are not going to give out your information - they are saying you will get contacted only if you have chosen to opt-in for their distribution list. From what I hear, that isn't the case. I'm sure moss and Hankins would agree.
posted by insomnia_lj at 12:47 PM on December 11, 2001

I was spammed as well, the Variety e-mail. I certainly did not opt-in for anything.

The bastards lost my vote.
posted by Neale at 1:02 PM on December 11, 2001

I wondered where that one came from. It kinda stuck out among the Chinese spam with 80K attachments that I usually get.
posted by dhartung at 2:36 PM on December 11, 2001