This policy is specific about what information is collected on these sites. As such, it s very lengthy, with more than 20 pages of description. It s unfortunate that the policy doesn t account for the individual collection practices of each of the offspring sites to help users decide which ones they would prefer to visit.
Some information is collected once and reused, such as logon information.
Similar to Yahoo, much of the policy tries to sell users on sharing their information. There s also the veiled threat that failure to provide information may disable portions of the service. This might be considered disingenuous, given the current political climate, but that may also be why it s done. The policy includes a fairly extensive description of the protection of children online, including compliance and beyond with the Children s Online Privacy Protection Act. Finally, the policy includes some pointers on how to protect your privacy online, which is refreshing.