Smolt: Fedora Hardware Profiler

[Alan Cox]

On Thu, Feb 01, 2007 at 06:46:19AM +0100, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
> Fact is, what you seem to take for granted, isn't in Germany. The legal
> details are complicated, it would require to be a laywer to elaborate,
> but German's laws mandate "explicit opt-in" and mandate explicit
> regulations on many other details (e.g. timed deletion of data)
> in many situations.

The UK likewise, although they are hopeless at enforcing it, especially
when government is (as usual) the offender. Any contract based approach
the same would apply as contract normally can only be created by active
acceptance (I cannot for example say "I'll sell you a car for $250,000 unless
you say you don't want it" and expect that to be an enforcable contract)

Thus from a simple practical "what is allowed" point of view, personal data
collection must be opt-in

> IMO, you and Fedora are vastly underestimating the situation. You
> understand you are playing with a loaded gun here and are better off
> taking concerns about it seriously.

Agreed. 

Alan