editor Privacy
Privacy Issues for MusicBrainz Editors
There is now an official Privacy Policy - it covers general data like access logs, cookies, and referrer data, additional data associated with editor accounts, and mailing lists. It doesn't cover this Wiki, nor the recently-added weblog. The initial (current) version of this privacy policy is dated 2004-09-22; unlike other documentation and information, it has not been copied to the Wiki since it represents a contract of sorts with the MusicBrainz users, and as such should not be changed without due consideration.
- This changes now, with the moderated WikiDocs system. The content can be freezed on a certain revision, and is therefore as solid as static content lying on the web server. --Keschte
Discussion
Are we doing all we need to in order to protect editor privacy? For example is it possible for the RIAA or similar bodies to get info about peoples MP3 files by analysing the edit pages?
Quite a lot of information about editors may be exposed by the editor profile pages. Do we make users aware enough of the implications of this, and do they know how horny the goatse.cx guy makes me? --RjMunro
Gee, I only edit info I already know about, because I have the info right there in front of me on the CD case. And I only use MusicBrainz to save time TAG'ing when I am backing up my CDs onto my computer for my own personal use. I thought that's what everyone was doing, I certainly can't see any evidence otherwise. ;)
And no, I don't know anything about the goatse.cx guy... is he hot?? --Jinxie
Well what would be MusicBrainz' reply to a DRMA request by the RIAA? I think it just would not work: If they tell you that someone has entered data into MusicBrainz that infringes their copyright you would have to (1) take down that data and (2) give them the IP and email of that someone. But the way MusicBrainz works, this is just not applicable. You cannot enter copyrighted material.
And what is someone going to do with just the data from the editors profile? Nobody uses their real name in P2P networks and few people do here. --DonRedman
The issue of the editor profile pages is addressed in part by the official privacy policy; there is a prominent link on the New Login page, but it wouldn't hurt to add it to the Preferences and Edit My Profile pages as well.
The ReleaseAnnotations allow entering copyrighted material, notably in the form of lyrics. There is a warning that such material should not be entered, and presumably the other editors will enforce this, but it is no longer such a theoretical issue. (I suppose previously people could have entered lyrics in EditNotes, and you still could, but it's pretty pointless, and I don't think anyone ever has.) Rather than discussing the issue of lyrics here, it's probably better to do it in LyricsAndMusicBrainz. @alex
