A reader asked me about claims being made by Glenn Beck of Fox News that a U.S. Government website is threatening to seize computers from the site's visitors. I admit I don't watch Fox News and I have no idea who Glenn Beck is, but apparently he's blowing off a lot of steam about a privacy warning on the cars.gov Cash for Clunkers website. The phrase Beck finds so terrifying:
Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, DOT, and law enforcement personnel as well as all authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign. By using this system, the user consents to such interception, monitoring, recording, copying, auditing, inspecting and disclosure at the discretion of CARS or the DOT personnel.
This may be worded in a way that sounds scary if you're prone to knee-jerk reactions, but there's nothing in that paragraph that doesn't appy to any other website on the Web. All it's saying (in plain English) is that your interaction with that website might be logged. If you make a request for a file on a website, the Web server has to serve up the file, which means the Web server knows you requested the file, which means that request could be logged. Doesn't mean it will be logged, but it could be. On cars.gov or any other website in the world.
To deliberately spread lies that incite fear, inflame hated and encourage violence is despicable. It is morally reprehensible, unconscionable and inexcusable.
You’re quoting the REVISED terms agreement. The original agreement was worded so strongly, it was arguably illegal. For example, it said once you’re connected to the website, your computer becomes the “property” of the US government.
See the original statement on snopes.com:
http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/clunkers.asp
Even Snopes and the EFF agree that Beck’s fears were unfounded. From Snopes: “In short, there was once a poorly-worded privacy statement on the CARS.gov site, but it never applied to ordinary consumers visiting the site (just dealers), and it has since been changed. Consumers visiting the CARS.gov web site do not (and never did) have to agree that the federal government can own or take control of their computers.”
And from EFF: “Clicking “continue” on a poorly worded Terms of Service on a government site will not give the government the ability to “tap into your system … any time they want.” The seizure of the personal and private information stored on your computer through a one-sided click-through terms of service is not “conscionable” as lawyers say, and would not be enforceable even if the cars.gov website was capable of doing it, which we seriously doubt.”
In any event, the article references Beck’s own post which has the revised warning (and his erroneous claims regarding its meaning).
As I recall, Beck stated the agreement applied to dealers and not consumers.
thanks admin.