Cash for clunkers... Don't go to cars.gov

[DavidJY]

We all know the cash for clunkers program....well here is why you shouldn't do it online at the website.

[King of Assholes]

That's weird how they can't get it to actually load up, but it's not like we all haven't seen sites overwhelmed with traffic and not load. I just find it odd, it really says that? That's fuckin ridiculous.

[DavidJY]

Yea I jumped the gun. Shoulda researched before making any assumptions. I usually do but this time I fail. I was looking at the privacy act itself but its waaay too long and full of legal rhetoric that gets annoying. This word means this and that. That word pertains to this, that and that. =/

There's an entertaining clip from Glenn Beck's Fox News program making the rounds on the Internet lately, featuring this language from the Terms of Service for the "Cash for Clunkers" program:

While this language was accessible only by registered dealers, and not the public (and has apparently now been removed), it nevertheless is a shocking example of the kind of problems that can come with click-through agreements written by faceless lawyers and basically imposed on the rest of us. No one should ever try to force you to "agree" that accessing a government website turns your computer into a government computer or gives up your privacy rights in the other contents of your computer.

This hopefully careless language demonstrates the concerns that EFF has long raised about the creeping reduction in user privacy and rights online that we see through various means, including terms of service, cookies and even the “phone home” nature of some of our devices like the Amazon Kindle. This sort of contracting away of our privacy and rights is bad enough when companies do it — it should be off limits for government.

Unfortunately, the commentary of Fox anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle was also wrong about the scope of the privacy issues:

Clicking "continue" on a poorly worded Terms of Service on a government site will not give the government the ability to "tap into your system... any time they want." The seizure of the personal and private information stored on your computer through a one-sided click-through terms of service is not “conscionable” as lawyers say, and would not be enforceable even if the cars.gov website was capable of doing it, which we seriously doubt. Moreover, the law has long forbidden the government from requiring you to give up unrelated constitutional rights (here the 4th Amendment right to be free from search and seizure) as a condition of receiving discretionary government benefits like participation in the Cars for Clunkers program.

The problems with overreaching terms of service are real, and EFF has been working hard to combat them, especially when your privacy is at stake. Companies and government departments repeatedly sow the seeds of confusion, concern and outrage when they sneak catch-all terms into the small print. Our ToSBack site tracks these agreements and allows the public to find out what they say and track their changes over time. But terms of service agreements don’t go as far as allowing the government ongoing, free range into your personal computer with a single mouse click. At least not yet.

[jeffdrafttech]

If I trusted Glen Beck I'd be appalled

[DavidJY]

I don't know much about glenn beck but i've heard his name before.

[blackpussy]

Originally Posted by jeffdrafttech

If I trusted Glen Beck I'd be appalled

exclamation point for sure!

[brotherdarkness]

To quote a politician from yesterday, we have facts on our side and you have Glenn Beck on yours.

[zhowlett]

Originally Posted by brotherdarkness

To quote a politician from yesterday, we have facts on our side and you have Glenn Beck on yours.

Whoever said that should win an award not only is that funny but very true!!

[da_ticklah]

Originally Posted by DavidJY

We all know the cash for clunkers program....well here is why you shouldn't do it online at the website.

I just find it funny that when similar if not worse things were implemented by Bush/Cheney (warrant-less wiretaps etc...) nobody on Fox News gave a shit. Glen Beck can eat a bag of dicks.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by brotherdarkness

To quote a politician from yesterday, we have facts on our side and you have Glenn Beck on yours.

I find it funny that people think there are only two sides and that somehow the loudest idiots speak for both of them.