After the update users found that the default admin tools page was replaced with Cisco’s Cloud Connect service. The story gets worse from here as in order to use the new tools found in Cloud Connect they had to sign a new agreement which stated;
| “When you use the Service, we may keep track of certain information related to your use of the Service, including but not limited to the status and health of your network and networked products; which apps relating to the Service you are using; which features you are using within the Service infrastructure; network traffic (e.g. megabytes per hour); internet history; how frequently you encounter errors on the Service system and other related information …" |
Some also claimed that the new agreement contained wording that would disallow browsing to “unacceptable” sites. We were not able to find that type of wording, but considering the track verbiage we imagine that these complaints were more about being tracked when going to those sites more than them being blocked. Still we have seen some online cloud services that view going to any site that is listed as unacceptable (Porn, Torrent, etc.) as a violation of their terms of service and will cancel your account without warning if they detect this. (The SurfEasy has this type of wording). Again we did not see that in the version of the new privacy policy we saw (which has been changed again by Cisco).
Cisco has also re-updated the firmware so that users can manage and administer their routers directly instead of needing to use Cloud Connect to do it. They have also apologized to their users in two very public apologies (June 29 and July 5). While we have heard people say that the cloud is the next step in computing and that it is becoming the “way things are done” it simply is not what most consumers want.
In today’s market many consumers are beginning to understand that any use of cloud services will result in their personal information being cataloged. This is happening thanks to high-profile privacy cases against companies like Google, Facebook, Apple and more. People are becoming more and more aware that using these services (especially the free ones) means that they have to give up some of their rights to their personal information. We see this as the biggest problem facing Windows 8 as more and more people become aware that it is heavily cloud based and even during the setup wants you to offer up your personal information. We have a feeling that unless Microsoft changes these requirements and allows more user choice Windows 8 will not go over well with the market they are trying to push it on.
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