] TiVo boxes download scheduling information over phone
] lines each night. They also upload a record of what was
] watched, recorded and skipped.
]
] TiVo says it does not identify individual viewers but
] will customize the report to track, for example, viewing
] habits of Silicon Valley subscribers during the Super
] Bowl, the finale of American Idol or the Academy Awards.

This makes me slightly uncomfortable.. Mostly, because they said for the longest time that the TiVo did not upload _any_ information about what a customer views. I don't think my TiVo ever told me it was doing different. I wonder when this changed, or will change, and if I wasn't paying attention to the news would I have known about it.

] ``Privacy is an addressable concern,'' he said. ``Theoretically,
] TiVo knows a huge amount of information about an individual.
] But they've sworn not to use it except in aggregate and are
] adamant about sticking to that pledge,'' said Bernoff, who
] does not have a business relationship with TiVo. ``As long
] as TiVo stays and business and maintains that pledge, I don't
] think it's a problem.''

This particular issue has come up before in relation to MemeStreams.. At what point does data which is private, become data which is statistical? A few individuals data collected, in my opinion, does not go over the threshold enough. A TiVo in a shared household for instance.. All the TiVo's in a region, I don't see a problem with. All the TiVo's total, I don't see a problem with. That is very useful information.

I agree with TiVo that this is a addressable situation. There _is_ a middle ground. We collect a fair amount of information about the surfing habits of users on MemeStreams. However, this data is either used directly by the users (it powers the Reputation Agent), or we boil it down for the purposes of statistical info. Our privacy policy explicitly says we keep that information as private as we are capable of keeping it, and we do. We don't peek around people's private data. We view ourselves as entrusted to protect it. We don't sell people's private data, nor would we ever.

Currently, our statistical info is only used for the graphing stuff. That will change, but we are committed to protecting users privacy rights, and giving them access to information that is theirs.

Personally, I don't like the idea of selling the aggregate information, specifically selling exclusive access to the information. Its the users' information, it was collected and derived from them, so they should be able to see/use it. Otherwise, they should be reimbursed.

That leaves room for different service levels, and a business model to wrap it in. Advertisers are going to want the data faster, easier to access, and in close to real-time as possible so they can adjust their schedules and strategies. Personally, I just be interested in the "Google Zeitgeist"/"Billboard" style monthly view.

Mercury News | TiVo to sell data on viewing habits of subscribers