Looks like AOL has heard everyone’s issues. AOL will revise its user agreement to stress that it does not eavesdrop on IM conversations except in unusual circumstances (such as a court order).

I will wait to reserve final judgement on it until I actually read the changes, but this is a very positive development.

I still believe that this should jumpstart the effort to create an encryption standard for use by all IM clients so I can rely on my conversations having at least some privacy. I’m not a fool in the sense that it will be perfectly secure, but it would be better then everything being sent out in clear text across the Internet.

Then again, e-mail has had the same issues for much longer and we aren’t anywhere near an universal standard for encryption that is easy-to-use.

My brother Justin pointed me to Thrashing Through Cyperspace, which has a very interesting post on AOL now giving itself permission to basically use anything from your “private” conversations on AIM for its own purposes. Basically, the end of whatever privacy there was with AIM.

I wonder if this will make encryption become more common place with Instant Messaging clients. The sad thing though is that there are millions of computer users that use AIM without knowing about the alternatives. That also makes it pretty slim for me to find another person to chat with that actually has encryption working on their end as well.

Will there be a backlash against AOL for this move? Of course. The question is, how big will it get? While there are many bloggers who are up in arms about this, will your typical internet user who uses AIM give a damn? I doubt it if they are even lucky to understand what it means.

We need a Firefox of IM clients created. One with usability and security in mind first, not last. Encryption automatically of all conversations. All of the common features for IM. Gaim isn’t there yet, Trillian isn’t there yet (although that is my client of choice at the present).

This crap has to stop.