# BugMeNot.com: Is it legal or ethical? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 26, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966 "2004-07-26T18:46:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/1 "2004-07-26T18:46:21Z")
For those who don’t know about BugMeNot, it is a database with usernames and passwords for sites that need free registration. Is such a database legal or ethical? ---
**Author:** ![Andros\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Andros\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andros_X)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/2 "2004-07-26T19:28:58Z")
I would consider it a form of protest against news sites that want demographic information (for marketing purposes) in order to read the paper. It could also be seen as a form of protest against sites that ban anonymous comments (that is, registering in order to comment). Personally, I like the service, and the fact that the newspapers and sometimes-vindictive moderators aren’t watching my every move and noting every news article I read. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/3 "2004-07-26T20:29:58Z")
I think it’s unethical. I would highly doubt it to be illegal (but IANAL). A news source is giving information that it normally charges for, for free. In exchange for this free information it is requiring registration with some demographic information (rarely just an e-mail addy, but I’ve seen it). You don’t like those terms, take it somewhere else. I hope that these websites wise up and learn to not accept addresses from [bugmenot.com](http://bugmenot.com) or get rid of the registration altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/4 "2004-07-26T21:51:18Z")
> [@Andros\_X](#): > > I would consider it a form of protest against news sites that want demographic information (for marketing purposes) in order to read the paper. I always thought that morphing into an unemployed Paraguayan who lives in a seven-bedroom house was a more effective form of protest. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/5 "2004-07-26T23:52:23Z")
I’d put it slightly on the unethical side. Seems to me it’s fair for them to offer their services in exchange for marketing info. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/6 "2004-07-27T04:47:29Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I think it’s unethical. I would highly doubt it to be illegal (but IANAL). > > A news source is giving information that it normally charges for, for free. In exchange for this free information it is requiring registration with some demographic information (rarely just an e-mail addy, but I’ve seen it). You don’t like those terms, take it somewhere else. I hope that these websites wise up and learn to not accept addresses from [bugmenot.com](http://bugmenot.com) or get rid of the registration altogether. How is it any different than reading the newspaper at a public library? I suppose the paper is being paid for by a person’s tax dollars, but it isn’t like the news articles are free of advertisements once you’re logged in to the site. I’ve never heard of the site, but I think it’s a great idea. Normally I don’t give out my real info when registering for newspapers or places where I just want to read an article once. I’m becoming more and more irritated with the increasing amount of crap people want to sell to me or think they have to inform me about; if I want something, then I’ll find it myself, I don’t need organizations bothering me and putting my info into some database so it can get a couple extra cents. This isn’t exactly sticking it to The Man, more of a small moral victory. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/7 "2004-07-27T05:21:47Z")
[We just did this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=266796) ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/8 "2004-07-27T10:37:48Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I’d put it slightly on the unethical side. Seems to me it’s fair for them to offer their services in exchange for marketing info. Unfortunately I am not a market, so I don’t have any marketing information to offer them in exchange. Therefore I have no problems using BugMeNot (Firefox has a menu extension that accesses BugMeNot’s database directly). Newspapers have registration just because they can, and they like to have a big database of names that they think might be of use sometime in the future. Neither they, nor I, nor you, have any idea what that might be. That should be something of a concern. The value of the data is also questionable, I certainly never tell these sites a word of truth about who I am for the above reason. So I imagine a sizable proportion of others do the same. There’s nothing illegal about that as I never at any stage sign anything swearing it to be the truth. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/9 "2004-07-27T11:33:34Z")
I’d say it’s a little unethical. You could always create an email address strictly for this sort of thing and give a fictiitious street address and other info. Personally, I think that the benefit/cost ratio from the newspaper’s point of view is \< 1 . But it’s their paper. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/10 "2004-07-27T12:52:25Z")
> [@Dignan](#): > > How is it any different than reading the newspaper at a public library? Well, the ads sold on the paper aren’t necessarily online and vice versa for one. The more obvious is the part where you don’t have to sign up with the newspaper in exchange for reading it at the library. > [@Futile Gesture](#): > > Newspapers have registration just because they can, and they like to have a big database of names that they think might be of use sometime in the future. Neither they, nor I, nor you, have any idea what that might be. That should be something of a concern. Concern? What do you think could be done with a list of nameless email addresses? Spam? Let’s look at the [New York Times Registration Page](http://www.nytimes.com/auth/login) [ol] [li]Member ID[/li][li]Password[/li][li]Repeat Password[/li][li]E-mail Address[/li][li]Gender[/li][li]Zip Code[/li][li]Income Range[/li][li]Job Title[/li][li]Frequency of Usage[/li][li]Year of Birth[/li][li]Country of Residence[/li][li]Industry of work[/li][li]Job Function[/li][/ol] It’s almost like they put a chip in my brain! :eek: I don’t see the invasion of privacy (esp when this is noted as: [NYTimes.com](http://NYTimes.com) respects your privacy, so we will never share any personal information without your consent. ) It’s very obvious that they’re I also don’t see how lying about what your e-mail address could ever be considered ethical. So, I found an article about papers switching to [subscription.](http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1801780) (and, ironically, you don’t need a subscription to view it). > [@](#): > > In Chicago, the Tribune has already created an ad-revenue stream from targeted e-mail. “We’ve been charging as high as $80 to $100 CPM [cost per thousand] for some of those,” Solomon says. And by collecting ZIP codes of Web users, the Tribune now has critical mass for its advertising snail-mail program, where the paper sends out packages on behalf of advertisers, according to Silver. By the end of the first quarter this year, the paper hopes to use registration data to begin serving targeted advertising on its Web site. Considering we’re debating this on a subscription website, we should understand the need for revenue to keep the product we’re using alive. I’d rather subscribe to a news source just using a bit of info than having to pay money out of my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/11 "2004-07-28T00:13:31Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > Unfortunately I am not a market, so I don’t have any marketing information to offer them in exchange. Therefore I have no problems using BugMeNot (Firefox has a menu extension that accesses BugMeNot’s database directly). Isn’t that sort of like saying that you don’t have a real nickel to pay for the candy, so it’s OK to give a fake worthless nickel to fool the person into selling you the candy? If not, why not? If you don’t have what they want in exchange for the service, the most ethical thing is to not fool them into giving you the service. The ethical thing is to not partake of the service. That said, I use the bugmenot extension (it runs on Mozilla as well) all the time. But I have to admit it’s a bit on the unethical side. ---
**Author:** ![Baglady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Baglady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baglady)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/12 "2004-07-28T01:45:02Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > (Firefox has a menu extension that accesses BugMeNot’s database directly). Oooo ooo, how do I do this? I’ll have to go and figure it out. I use BMN fairly regularly, because I think the kinds of questions they ask are intrusive. I’d rather go with the Slate/Box Office Reports type format, where I have to watch an ad before I am allowed to access the article or page I want. They certainly don’t ask me what my birth date or annual income is when I go to the corner box to buy a newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-is-it-legal-or-ethical/256966/13 "2004-07-28T22:42:49Z")
I think it saves us (meaning those who do not register personal info at websites) and them a lot of time. I don’t have to fill out registration with bogus info and they don’t waste time compiling stats based on that bogus information. Everybody wins!