Recently web site TechCrunch is reporting that Last.fm is going beyond sharing aggregated statistics and into the realm of sharing individual user information. According to TechCrunch, Last.fm had given the RIAA a list of its users and their IP addresses that. Last.fm handed data to the RIAA so they could track who’s been listening to the “leaked” U2 album.Second time Techcrunch reported that RIAA had the data but not from last.fm but it's parental company CBS Interactive & even Last.fm didn't know about this data sharing. Well Last.fm denied the allegations, both time.
When first time TechCrunch accused last.fm for data sharing , that time Last.fm founder Richard Jones post a blogpost on their blog "Techcrunch are full of shit". May be TechCrunch article came across as some sort of sordid publicity stunt. That time RIAA didn't know that from where the rumor come from. lately RIAA denies rumors that Last.fm turned over user data
Last.fm staff member Russ Garrett also posted in a discussion thread
I'd like to issue a full and categorical denial of this. We've never had any request for such data by anyone, and if we did we wouldn't consent to it.
Of course we work with the major labels and provide them with broad statistics, as we would with any other label, but we'd never personally identify our users to a third party - that goes against everything we stand for.
As far as I'm concerned Techcrunch have made this whole story up.
When second time Techcrunch saying that data has been handover to RIAA but not via last.fm but via its parent company, CBS Corp. This time also last.fm denied the allegations that CBS handed over USER DATA RIAA also said on Monday “We’ve made no such request for this information,” but here it was important what CBS has to say about this allegations & Now CBS responds:
Both CBS and the RIAA have already stated quite clearly, for the record, that absolutely no individual user or listener information was supplied to the RIAA by Last.fm or any division of CBS Corporation in the past, nor do we plan to do so in the future. The story posted by the Web site was based on an unnamed tipster. No inquiry was made to CBS or Last.fm about the veracity of the anonymous source. Those who consult such blogs should be aware of the standard by which such postings are sourced and published.
Well, Who knows who is right & who is wrong but story making should come from facts & CBS is right about this "Those who consult such blogs should be aware of the standard by which such postings are sourced and published." Media has power & it's very good when its on side of good & some says "Pen having a more power then guns these days." It is a good medium but it's bad when it turn in Evil. Surly this allegations will hurt badly to last.fm brand image and I see many users closing their accounts.
