It all comes down to trust and this author is right, he shouldn't trust these companies. If it isn't clear who they are and how they handle your data then you s

It all comes down to trust and this author is right, he shouldn't trust these companies. If it isn't clear who they are and how they handle your data then you shouldn't trust them. This highlights a growing problem I see with newly launched consumer oriented sites (many posted here on HN). Startups are ignoring legal and regulatory requirements around privacy and seem completely insensitive to customer's feelings in this area. That is going to hurt them in the long run. They'll lose customers like this author. Things are moving fast with regard to privacy around the world. The FTC tagged both Google[1] and Facebook[2] last year for privacy violations. The EU is pushing forward with new, much tougher, regulations[3] and still week after week I see sites come out that don't even have a privacy policy[4]. [1]http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/228200049 http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/2282000... [2]http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/facebook-settles-ftc-privacy-complaint-agrees-to-ask-users-permission-for-changes/2011/11/29/gIQAqyJC9N_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/facebook-s... [3]http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/data-protection/news/120125_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/data-protection/news/12... [4]http://fandalism.com/ http://fandalism.com/