Yahoo Mail Classic shutting down this week
Users of Yahoo Mail who have so far resisted upgrading to the latest version now face losing access to their accounts, as Yahoo is shutting down Classic effective this week.
In a post on its Help section, Yahoo said it is shutting down older versions of Yahoo Mail, and those who do not upgrade may have to close their accounts.
"Beginning the week of June 3, 2013, older versions of Yahoo! Mail (including Yahoo! Mail Classic) will no longer be available. After that, you can access your Yahoo! Mail only if you upgrade to the new version," it said.
Users who upgrade should accept Yahoo's Communications Terms of Service and Privacy Policy - which includes the acceptance of "automated content scanning and analyzing of your communications content."
Yahoo said it uses the scanned and analyzed content to "deliver product features, relevant advertising, and abuse protection," though users can opt out of such "interest-based and contextual-based advertising."
But those who do not want to use the new Yahoo Mail have only two options:
- Download Yahoo! Mail using IMAP, which lets a user access email from a different email program, such as Outlook, Mac Mail, or a mobile device app.
- Close one's account.
Aggressive invasion of privacy? A separate report on TechCrunch noted Yahoo launched its latest version of Mail last December, and announced the discontinuation of Classic last April.
But it said Yahoo had not mentioned the new terms of service and privacy policy "until it just began sending Classic users an email about having to switch."
"Some are labeling the switch an aggressive invasion of privacy," it said.
It quoted an anonymous Jottit user who said Yahoo can now effectively "troll through email for personal information that it can share or hold onto indefinitely."
But TechCrunch also quoted commenters on Hacker News as saying Google's Gmail "has long scanned your email to show you related ads." — TJD, GMA News
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