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Poster: Ada-Kaleh Date: Jan 27, 2024 9:28am
Forum: general Subject: Archive.org exposes uploaders' email addresses!

Each item uploaded to archive.org has an auto-generated meta.xml file, which contains an "uploader" tag with the user's email address. Example:

https://ia800703.us.archive.org/35/items/SonyPlaystationManuals/SonyPlaystationManuals_meta.xml

You can find this file in each item's download options - press "show all" at the bottom, then click the file ending in "_meta.xml".

There is nothing on the website warning users that their email addresses are going to be exposed. I am finding this out after years of using archive.org. This is a betrayal of uploaders' privacy, not to mention the fact that these addresses are easy for spam bots to pick up.

To top it off, help.archive.org falsely states that IA is "unable to release" uploaders' contact info:

https://help.archive.org/help/rights/#how-can-i-contact-the-person-group-who-uploaded-an-item

> How can I contact the person / group who uploaded an item?
>
> Internet Archive is unable to release any contact information for patrons. However, it may be worth your while to post a review for the item in question – this automatically contacts the uploader’s account, notifying them that their upload has been reviewed. You could pose queries/requests for information therein.

What the hell, IA?!
This post was modified by Ada-Kaleh on 2024-01-27 17:28:48

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Poster: sydneydux Date: Jan 27, 2024 11:00am
Forum: general Subject: Recommend implementing a Plan B

Some improvements have been made by IA, such as no longer showing email addresses of those who upload items on the listing of all pending tasks.

To protect my email address privacy I did a Plan B by creating a new member name using a readily available free email service. Such a Plan B may be the only way to ensure your primary email address stays spam-free-ish. The Plan B email address can likely auto-forward to your primary address.

I guess it's just another case of live and learn to protect yourself online. For example, we all quickly learn to use PayPal or other alternate payment methods rather than give out our credit card number. When I bought my 1st new car in 20+ years, worthless OnStar insisted on a cc number, to which I give them my usual replay of "my lawyer tells me to not give out my credit card number." For some reason OnStar hung up quite quickly when I said that. I guess they don't like having customers who aren't pushovers they can gouge for an overpriced service no longer useful in the 2020's.

Live & learn, and state your concerns in a forum hoping that improvements are implemented. That's about the best we can do.

We thank you for letting us members know we have to be careful here using our primary email address.
.
This post was modified by sydneydux on 2024-01-27 19:00:33

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Poster: Ada-Kaleh Date: Jan 28, 2024 4:25am
Forum: general Subject: Re: Recommend implementing a Plan B

> I guess it's just another case of live and learn to protect yourself online.

No, IA developers need to fix this. It is a damn serious issue and it's completely dumbfounding that it remained unaddressed for so long.

I've sent an email to info@archive.org. If they don't reply, what else can we do to get their attention?

Reply [edit]

Poster: sydneydux Date: Jan 28, 2024 3:30pm
Forum: general Subject: Easy to answer

"...what else can we do to get their attention?"

Simple.. donate a shipload of money.

[Muttering to self... I hope I spelled "shipload" with a "p" and not a "t."]

Reply [edit]

Poster: Ada-Kaleh Date: Jan 27, 2024 9:15am
Forum: general Subject: Re: Archive.org exposes uploaders' email addresses!

Oh, and if you change your email address in account settings, the address for your previous uploads remains unchanged. Wow.

Also, you can search by email address in IA's search engine. For example, here are all uploads made by users with riseup.net email addresses:

https://archive.org/search?query=uploader%3A%28%40riseup.net%29

Here's a post from 2013 pointing out the same problems:

https://archive.org/post/553311/how-can-i-contact-the-person-group-who-uploaded-an-item

I can't believe this hasn't been addressed all these years.