Jerry Brito

Bug me (in exchange for content)

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BugMeNot.com is a service that gives you fake names and passwords for sites that require registration. Want to read a NYT or WaPo article but don’t want to register with them? This is your site.

I’m not sure what to think of this. On the one hand it’s a simple way for privacy zealots to avoid registration and thus might help prevent a vocal minority from resorting to lobbying government for a “solution” such as banning voluntary data collection. On the other hand, it seems like a breach of contract that has negative externalities.

The NYT is giving us all the great content they do in exchange for relatively little: your name, e-mail address, age, etc. They use this information so that they can better target ads to you and thus charge advertisers more. If they couldn’t ask you this info, chances are they would make up what they lost by charging the reader for access to the content. If enough people use BugMeNot, it’s possible the current “free” system could be undermined. The same goes for sites that offer you a phone number to give CVS or Safeway in lieu of a registered card. Luckily most American’s have bigger worries than the supermarket knowing what they buy. Otherwise we’d be paying higher grocery prices too.

P.S. I wonder if they can be sued for tortuous interference with business relationships?

Feb 9, 2005 | Comments