Apple iTunes Plus Borders on Spyware

Wed May 30, 2007 10:26PM EDT

See Comments (41)

Well, I figured something like this would happen. I've written previously about Apple's gracious offer to let you pay an extra 30 cents each for tracks without DRM, but now something more sinister is afoot: When you buy those tracks, it turns out they are tagged with your iTunes user name and your email address.

The iTunes Plus store opened today to mixed reviews and lots of bugs, but it wasn't long before Ars Technica took a look under the hood of those files. And there it is: your account data, for the world to see. (Old, DRM'ed iTunes files contain account info too, but they're useless to file sharers.)

The privacy implications here are enormous. This is obviously a ploy to keep DRM-free files from ending up on file sharing networks (and to make it brainlessly easy to sue those who do share their music), but the reality is far worse than that. Clever P2P users will simply delete the data in the files and go on sharing the music. More clever ones will forge different email addresses and account names into the music, then share the files. It won't be long before the first RIAA subpoena is delivered to someone on the basis of a forged email address found in an iTunes track. Maybe it'll be you. It'll be up to you to prove you didn't download the track in question.

Sorry to be the bearer of doomsaying news, but there's just no reason that Apple needs this information embedded in music files. There's nothing to be gained from it and everything to be lost, as the last thing digital music needs is more bad press. But here's yet another reason to avoid these tracks. (In related news, no one seems to be able to tell the difference in quality vs. the old 99-cent tracks, anyway.)

Also, I'll let you know when someone delivers a utility to strip personal info from iTunes tracks. I figure it'll be a week or two at the most.

LINK: Apple hides account info in DRM-free music, too 

Comments on Apple iTunes Plus Borders on Spyware

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  • 6 Posted by fjmeckel on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    "No one seems to be able to tell the difference in quality"??? OK, maybe nobody is listening to the music on anything but an iPod in a loud environment with stock earphones. I have been waiting for this for a while. I have not been buying much at $0.99 because it was compromised music. I don't care if the tracks carry my data. I don't share them. Why should legitimate users care if their tracks carry that personal information any more than if their shirts are embroidered with their initials? If you plan on staying legal, there is no problem whatsoever with this system.

  • 8 Posted by andyam6 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    hahah i can see it now.....apple accidentally sues self after hacker groups use emails of apple employees

  • 10 Posted by s_dincolo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    But your allowed to use p2p sharing assuming you allready own a copy of the songs in question. So its preventing legal users there rights to share there music. I have never liked apple though, so its no big deal to me. I think its funny they enjoy shooting them selfs in the foot.

  • 11 Posted by glennaxworthy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    Substitute the word "Microsoft" for "Apple", and watch these MacZombies moan ...

  • 12 Posted by scorpion103048 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    Scorpion: I should have known as the ol saying says.*Nothings for nothing!!*I feel if we are guilty of hacking anothers PC,then not notifying under the privacy act, that they are also liable for their own actions!!Its sad as its a nice program.But i did check for the codes and they are in fact there!So people beware,its the same as *Shareware*and covered to hide the trith!!

  • 13 Posted by mplsjuggalo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    just use soundtaxi on drm style music and convert to mp3 no more problems

  • 14 Posted by bunnyhoptwelve on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    Chris, you are leading people on a tangent of paranoia. DRM is an unfortunate reality that the RIAA has forced Apple to put into place as a contingent to offering entire catalogs to be available on iTunes. The compromise to users is this DRM free for thirty cents more. It seems likely that this is an experiment for Apple and the RIAA to see if DRM has any impact at all on sales. Which could ultimately result in abandoning DRM altogether. Of course the RIAA is going to put additional security on a file that has no DRM(for now). But audio CD's don't have any DRM at all. The only people who would be cazy enough to pay extra for this are unaware of how easy it is to get around this. Burn the iTunes songs to audio CD and rip them to a different file format. It's not theft until they are shared illegally.

  • 15 Posted by l_wonder56 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    If I pay for something I should be able to give it to my friends if I want without being sued. This is the kind of stuff that makes people download crap and not pay for it.

  • 16 Posted by jrmmusic on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    Music should be paid for and if you keep the music on your hard drive and put on your iPod then who cares. For people who want to "keep their options open", go to a different service or buy the CD. I buy lots of music and don't care if my name is on it cause it's mine.

  • 17 Posted by von_b_8 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've purchased 2 songs from iTunes. I went out and bought the CDs. The sound is so compressed that it wasn't worth listening to. Needless to say, I use my iPod for my music only, imported as .wav files. Sure you can't get as much music on it but I have enough music on my 80GB iPod that I can drive cross-country a few times without hearing the same song twice.

  • 18 Posted by jdimi34 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    If you do not break the law you have no worries! Good for Apple, as I anxiously await my I-phone delivery typing on my Mac checking my apple stock:)

  • 19 Posted by samuelson8180 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    I told my friends about this article - and the FIRST thing they said was, "Did you read it on Yahoo?" I said, "Yes," and they all said IT IS NOT TRUE!

  • 20 Posted by snadrus on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    Use a free OGG converter: http://vorbis.com/setup_windows/ to not only re-encode the files (which would erase the data) but also get a smaller file size. But Ogg doesn't play on iPods You could also use an MP3 converter.

  • 21 Posted by softballbabe078 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ummmmm... Chrisopher Null.... You are a complete nerd. But i guess a helpful one.

  • 22 Posted by jeffbloker on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    Merely because Apple writes your name on something you purchase doesn't make it spyware. Regular iTunes is protected lock and key - with your identifying information. iTunes Plus only has your identifying information... you can play it however you want. Good job with the distorted panic inducing headlines though. You should really consider a job in media.

  • 23 Posted by obenfuehrerin on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am very glad I'm not a part of Apple's iEmpire so I don't mess around with iTunes or the iPod! Besides, I would rather take the long road, burn my tracks to a cd and rip them to rid my music from the DRM. I like 'middlenamefrank's idea to put sjobs@apple.com on the data too.

  • 24 Posted by artiegordon on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    Shhhh, don't disturb the worshipful iPodders' dream that Steve Jobs is not a money worm.

  • 25 Posted by sdt33 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    Umm, Christopher. You are not the "bearer of news". This was going on before itunes plus. Do 5 seconds of research before you publish, eh?

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