Jeff Pulver revealed that Xten knows when you use its software to make VoIP calls.
While I don’t know how much of a privacy issue this raises, since the phone company knows each time you make a call currently, I am wondering what security issues that raises, based on the data being transmitted.
For example, do they know the IP address you’re located at? Do they know the duration of the call? What number (sip or pstn) that was dialed? What information are they collecting? Or is it simply, a becon that hits a counter saying “another call has been made using XTen software.” The latter is not a big deal in my mind and equal to a hit counter that no one sees on web sites.
P.S. Xten now has a Mac client too that works specifically with Vonage.
Xten has had a Mac client for sometime… as far as tracking well like you said, the phone company know where you are calling from (both location and number), whom you are calling (location, number, name of phone owner, etc.), how long your call was, if needing to (for training purposes or by court summons) listen into your conversation, the time your call was made, how much you daily,monthly,yearly, and overall average bill is, etc… so what is everyones concern?
The reason I might be concerned is I didn’t know when I installed Xten that it is being done. For that matter, Jeff Pulver, a business partner didn’t know. It is not clear what efforts are being made to protect privacy. Do they have a privacy policy?
The phone company on the other hand, has stated policy and the consumers have lots of legal rights, both have been tested over a period of time.