Updates to LJ's privacy policy- brought to you by INKSOME
Note: This post is actually written by Mysticshell on the journaling site Inksome (Formerly known as Scribblit.), under Friends lock. I asked if I could copy/paste it here and she gave me permission.


Yes, that's right guys, LJ HAS DONE IT AGAIN.

This time, they've updated their privacy policy with no word to the users, even though the policy still states that if any changes are made it will be posted, and that any changes made that are less restrictive than the original policy, that users consent would be sought. I watch the LJ news, business community, and design communities, as well as feedback and a handful of others so I can keep myself updated on what they're doing to the site. I had to hear about this on Inksome. I have no idea how the site admin on Inksome heard about it if I can't find a public announcement from LJ itself.What am I incensed about this time? Oh just this and I quote:

* When you provide personal information through using the Service you are however sharing your personal information with LiveJournal, organizations that may hold a majority interest in LiveJournal, their divisions or subsidiaries and, LiveJournal and any of its divisions or subsidiaries. The use of your personal information by these organizations is subject to this policy.

and also

* LiveJournal does or may share personally identifiable information about you under the following circumstances:
o In the course of operating our business it may be necessary or appropriate for us to provide access to your personal information to others such as our service providers, contractors and select vendors so that we can operate the Service and our business. Where practical, we seek to obtain confidentiality agreements that are consistent with this policy and that limit others' use or disclosure of the information you have shared.
o We may transfer personal information to certain advertising partners that you have explicitly requested to receive information from. It will be clear at the point of collection who is collecting the personal information and whose privacy statement will apply.
o We may share your personal information to respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims, if in our judgment, disclosure is required or appropriate in such circumstances.
o We may share your personal information if we believe it is necessary in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person, violations of LiveJournal's terms of use, or as otherwise required by law.
o As we continue to develop our business, we might also sell all or part of our business. In such transactions, personally identifiable information you have shared with us is generally one of the business assets that may be transferred. The transferred personally identifiable information will remain subject to the promises made in this privacy policy or subsequent policies to which you have consented.

If there is ever a change to how LiveJournal uses or intends to use personal information, we will post that change to this policy and, if the new policy is materially less restrictive than this policy, we will seek your consent.


It makes me wish I had a copy of the old privacy policy to compare, but here's the updated version its entirety. Inksome's Admin Kit has responded with a brief update of his own, to reassure his users. You may see it here.

And people wonder why I complain about Livejournal. Why should I have to hear about its invasive policy changes from a different site? This is why I no longer give them any money. Why I scoff at users still shelling out or planning to shell out hundreds of dollars on permanent accounts. Why I don't really understand people who are still buying paid accounts at this point. I honestly can't understand how/why people are willingly giving LJ their own money in the face of things like this.

And those of you who wonder why I'm even still there? It's because the majority of my LJ friends haven't moved to Inksome yet. I'm there for them because I refuse to lose touch with them all. Enough said.