is it real?

TIVOthis · Jul 13, 2004

I'm sure you've all heard....TIVO tracks what you watch and sells that info. Well, I'm trying to talk a friend into a TV unit, and I'm not sure if this is true or not, and it's an argument they have.

So, is it true? If so, can it be turned off so TIVO does not get this info?

Thanks.

dirtypacman · Jul 13, 2004

Tivo gives you an option to allow for data to be collected. You can opt out of this if you do not want to allow it.

From what I understand Tivo does not collect anything about you as an individual but more information on that DVR viewing habits.

Example--- News stories after the Jackson/Superbowl incident said Such and Such amount of Tivos replayed that scene.

TIVOthis · Jul 13, 2004

Thank you for your prompt answer!

phone1 · Jul 13, 2004

Individual viewing habits are all grouped together (aggregated). Therefore they know that thousands viewed a particular Super Bowl commercial, but they don't know what you as an individual were watching. The records they collect do not contain any information about you or your service number. This has been confirmed (in case you're into paranoia) by members of the forum.

allan · Jul 13, 2004

IIRC, they track by zipcode. So, if you can convince your neighbors to get Tivo, they won't know WHO in that zipcode watches the porn channels.

CharlesH · Jul 13, 2004

It is spelled out in http://www.tivo.com/5.11.3.asp

They take great pains in the way they store the information to "lose" the identity of the sending TiVo, not only by not sending the TiVo's id along with the info (in a separate session from the authentication/guide download session), but also by reorganizing the files it is contained in (to lose correlation with times your TiVo was known to call home), and aggregating the information and deleting the original info very quickly. As as a result, the personal info is simply not available, even if they were issued a court order to divulge it.

tomo_kun · Jul 13, 2004

They arnt selling it to anyone, its all private.

stevel · Jul 13, 2004

That's not true - the aggregate viewing data is sold - for which I say "great!"

There is a fascinating whitepaper at http://tivo.com/privacy that describes the efforts TiVo goes to in anonymizing the data.

ravonaf · Jul 14, 2004

What's funny is most people would kill to be a neilson family. Yet when tivo does the same thing people freek out.

tomo_kun · Jul 14, 2004

Wasnt there a rumour that TiVo and neilson where going to join? I wanna be a neilson family damn it. Soo many good shows cancled that i could help save!

stevel · Jul 14, 2004

TiVo does have a working arrangement with Nielsen. But you have to be invited to the program, you can't volunteer.

A couple of months ago my wife was invited to do the Nielsen diary - not through TiVo.

The TiVo Dude · Jul 15, 2004

Originally posted by dirtypacman
Tivo gives you an option to allow for data to be collected. You can opt out of this if you do not want to allow it.

How do you opt in/out?

Thanks.

csyria · Jul 15, 2004

You are automatically opted in, you have to call them to opt out.

LoadStar · Jul 15, 2004

There are actually 3 levels of "opt."

"Opt neutral" is the normal one. Your information is just collected and used anonymously and in aggregate. Everyone is "opt neutral" until you do something about it.

"Opt Out" means you have contacted TiVo and have told them you do not wish to participate in the data gathering at all.

"Opt In" is where they gather more specific information, and the information is non-anonymous and non-aggregate. (I believe this is used by special projects at TiVo, such as the "Hotline to Hollywood" project, the Nielsen relationship, and such.) I don't know that you can volunteer to opt in at this point - if TiVoSvcMgr or TiVoPony reads this, they probably can offer that information.

csyria · Jul 15, 2004

Hmm, I was wondering about that line in System Info after I turned on backboors.

Count me in, Hollywood needs to know that I don't watch reality shows.

wmcbrine · Jul 16, 2004

Originally posted by allan
IIRC, they track by zipcode.

Ah, but is it five digits (my town), or nine (my house)?

CrispyCritter · Jul 16, 2004

Originally posted by wmcbrine
Ah, but is it five digits (my town), or nine (my house)?

Five digit (what you give them in guided setup).

heyitscory · Jul 17, 2004

Example--- News stories after the Jackson/Superbowl incident said Such and Such amount of Tivos replayed that scene.

So... you mean to tell me...

The people at TiVo...

KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I DID THE 8 SECOND REPEAT ON HER NIPPLE.

Oh, dear god... I have to go move to Mongolia or somewhere now.

heyitscory · Jul 17, 2004

Count me in, Hollywood needs to know that I don't watch reality shows.

Amen, cheif. Gimme a script and some actors any day.

I'd rather watch the worst Fox sitcom than The Simple Life 3: Annoying, Dumb Rich Girls in Space.

1104 · Jul 17, 2004

Hey, I'd watch paris Hilton being shot into space, so long as it was into the sun. PV

is it real?

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