Apple iTunes Plus 'recording user data'

By Shaun Nichols on Jun 1, 2007 6:57 AM
Filed under Software

Songs reported to store buyers' account info covertly.

Users are claiming that Apple's new DRM-free iTunes Plus offering secretly records customer details.

Media reports suggest that the DRM-free song files collect and store the iTunes account information of the users who purchased the titles.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog reported that Mac users can see the collected data by viewing the files in Apple's terminal application.

The site claimed that pulling up the song data reveals the first and last name of the buyer, along with the email address which serves as a user ID.

Other users have reported that the data can be viewed simply by selecting the 'get info' option on the song file.

Spokespersons for Apple could not provide confirmation or official comment at the time of publication.

The revelation could put a dampener on what many advocacy groups had hailed as a victory for consumer rights when Apple announced that it would be providing tracks from EMI without DRM software.