Free VoIP, as long as they can listen in…

The recent story about "The Pudding" is notable:

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/The-Pudding-Listens-In-On-VoIP-87838

A new startup named The Pudding is offering users free calls via broadband, if they allow the company’s software to "listen" to the conversation and display ads related to what’s being discussed. The company insists that their technology isn’t much different than what Google does with Gmail, with the exception that speech recognition technology is often flaky.

Hmm. Just the thought alone of a computer out there trying to figure out what I’m saying gives me the creeps. And what legal obligations will follow? If the system thinks you said something criminal, does the Government have the right to demand to hear it? You can’t object because you already agreed to allow your call to be listened to. You’ve sold your privacy for 3 cents/minute. In the U.S.A., laws were made to protect the privacy of telephone calls. In legal terms, there is an "expectation of privacy". Here, there is none. For 3 cents/minute.

Have you seen the bumper stickers that say "Freedom isn’t Free"? It means we must be vigilent about protecting our rights or they will be taken from us. We must be prepared to make sacrifices so the next generation enjoys the rights we have. Even with Internet telephone calls, Freedom isn’t free, but at 3 cents a minute, it’s pretty affordable.

http://www.jajah.com/