By Julie White
Adobe’s describes its Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) application in an excerpt from its website below, but what the overview doesn’t specify is that readers also want privacy.
“Readers want choice, flexibility, and ease — to buy or borrow books and read them on their preferred reading devices. Adobe Digital Editions software offers an engaging way to view and manage media rich eBooks and other digital publications. Use it to download and purchase digital content, which can be read both online and offline. Transfer copy-protected eBooks from your personal computer to other computers or devices. Organize your eBooks into a custom library and annotate pages.”[1]
According to an October 14th Publisher’s Weekly article, which references a number of other related reports [2] , Adobe’s latest version of ADE (version 4 aka “DE4”) is collecting user information and transmitting it back to Adobe over the Internet without any form of encryption. Adobe is not only facing criticism and backlash as a result of transmitting user data “in the clear”, which refers to unencrypted data transmission; the type of data that is being transmitted is also being questioned. Adobe insists that its data collection is solely for licensing validation and for compliance with its end user agreements and privacy policy. However, several interested parties have contested Adobe’s collection of certain data points. According to an article written by Nate Hoffelder via The Digital Reader, Adobe is collecting far more data than is necessary to validate end user agreements. Hoffelder contends that “Adobe isn’t just tracking what users are doing in DE4; this app was also scanning my computer, gathering the metadata from all of the eBooks sitting on my hard disk, and uploading that data to Adobe’s servers.”[3]
While many parties are concerned and even outraged over what appears to be a major privacy breach, libraries are especially troubled by Adobe’s data collection practices. According to the American Library Association (ALA), thousands of libraries use the ADE e-reader app. Given that libraries have historically gone to great lengths to protect reader privacy, this breach is being called “egregious” by many in the library community, as it appears Adobe has sidestepped laws that are in place to protect the privacy of library reading records. [4]
While Adobe contends that its data collection practices are sound and has admitted to no wrongdoing, it has responded to the ALA stating that it expects to release an update to its software that will address transmission of reader data. If this is true, the upcoming week may bring a resolution to how reader data is transmitted back to Adobe, but I believe many questions will still remain about what data is being transmitted.
Adobe’s describes its Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) application in an excerpt from its website below, but what the overview doesn’t specify is that readers also want privacy.
“Readers want choice, flexibility, and ease — to buy or borrow books and read them on their preferred reading devices. Adobe Digital Editions software offers an engaging way to view and manage media rich eBooks and other digital publications. Use it to download and purchase digital content, which can be read both online and offline. Transfer copy-protected eBooks from your personal computer to other computers or devices. Organize your eBooks into a custom library and annotate pages.”[1]
According to an October 14th Publisher’s Weekly article, which references a number of other related reports [2] , Adobe’s latest version of ADE (version 4 aka “DE4”) is collecting user information and transmitting it back to Adobe over the Internet without any form of encryption. Adobe is not only facing criticism and backlash as a result of transmitting user data “in the clear”, which refers to unencrypted data transmission; the type of data that is being transmitted is also being questioned. Adobe insists that its data collection is solely for licensing validation and for compliance with its end user agreements and privacy policy. However, several interested parties have contested Adobe’s collection of certain data points. According to an article written by Nate Hoffelder via The Digital Reader, Adobe is collecting far more data than is necessary to validate end user agreements. Hoffelder contends that “Adobe isn’t just tracking what users are doing in DE4; this app was also scanning my computer, gathering the metadata from all of the eBooks sitting on my hard disk, and uploading that data to Adobe’s servers.”[3]
While many parties are concerned and even outraged over what appears to be a major privacy breach, libraries are especially troubled by Adobe’s data collection practices. According to the American Library Association (ALA), thousands of libraries use the ADE e-reader app. Given that libraries have historically gone to great lengths to protect reader privacy, this breach is being called “egregious” by many in the library community, as it appears Adobe has sidestepped laws that are in place to protect the privacy of library reading records. [4]
While Adobe contends that its data collection practices are sound and has admitted to no wrongdoing, it has responded to the ALA stating that it expects to release an update to its software that will address transmission of reader data. If this is true, the upcoming week may bring a resolution to how reader data is transmitted back to Adobe, but I believe many questions will still remain about what data is being transmitted.
Source Articles:
[1] http://www.adobe.com/solutions/ebook/digital-editions.html
[2] http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/64388-adobe-responds-to-ala-concerns-over-e-book-privacy.html
[3] http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/10/06/adobe-spying-users-collecting-data-ebook-libraries/#.VEMUFr6xvKM
[4] http://www.ala.org/news
[1] http://www.adobe.com/solutions/ebook/digital-editions.html
[2] http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/64388-adobe-responds-to-ala-concerns-over-e-book-privacy.html
[3] http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/10/06/adobe-spying-users-collecting-data-ebook-libraries/#.VEMUFr6xvKM
[4] http://www.ala.org/news