It’s hard to describe what’s the tipping point, the point where things turn from useful/entertaining to creepy. To me those two examples did cross the line. And I wish I could put my finger on exactly what makes it creepy, but it’s hard.Perhaps it’s when the application or service makes it blatantly clear that they can read your messages, that they actually have unlimited access to all the names and numbers in your address book. That they do track where you access the site from regularly. And not only do they have this information and access, they feel that it’s ok for them to use it rather openly. And they do make it personal. It’s not some trending data aggregated over millions of customers. It’s my data, extracted and pinpointed to be used on (or as it feels, against) me.
I’m trusting you with my data. I realise there are risks involved, but please treat my data with respect. Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. And don’t be a creep.