QuickBooks Usage and Analytics Study
Have you run
If you are in a hurry you’ll probably just click the Continue button to get on with your work, without really paying attention to what this says. If you do, though, you won’t get asked again, and you are automatically signed up for this study. Is that want you want?
We’ve seen notifications from Intuit in the past about “helping with Intuit’s study” but my recollection is that we had, when this notice first displayed, an option to opt-out which is missing from the new notification (I’m looking for a copy of the old notice in older products but I’m not finding it, darn it). What’s different this time is that the study is turned on by default right off the bat.
Sure, you can turn it off, but you have to first accept this study (so they have access to your data), then select Help and QuickBooks Usage & Analytics Study, and then turn it off.
When you choose this you then get the option to “discontinue” participation.
I asked Intuit about this, and they said:
“This new in-product notification provides information about an enhanced data sharing feature, and gives customers a choice/instructions to opt-out of data sharing if they wish. “
Interesting. “Enhanced data sharing feature.”
“ … which makes it easier for us to recommend or provide customers with new features and services that are most appropriate for them.”
I’m not entirely thrilled with them mining my information for the purpose of deciding what to market to me. Of course, in this day and age we all should be used to that from our web browsing experiences. I searched Google for some information on the Monterey Bay Aquarium the other day (fantastic place!), now all I see in my browser are ads for places to stay in Monterey, places to eat in Cannery Row, whale watching tours, and so forth. Everyone does this now.
“The new data sharing feature enables us to detect errors and product failures so that the product can be continuously improved. “
I don’t mind that kind of thing at all. I am happy to help Intuit fix problems in QuickBooks. I give them my thoughts on things to fix all the time – in blog articles, beta tests, user studies, the feedback option in the help menu, every time I run into someone from Intuit and say “while I have your attention…”
Here is what you see if you click the Learn More link in the notice. It spells out what they collect and what they will do with the data.
It is important to note that this doesn’t represent a change in Intuit’s privacy policy. It isn’t a shift in how they will use your data. Read that policy, though, and tell me if you are comfortable with it. Intuit won’t sell, publish or share this information, which is good. but I’m uncomfortable with some aspects of their access.
All in all, this isn’t too bad. We live in the age of “big data”. Everyone is collecting as much information from you as they can. It is a fact of life. At least in this case Intuit gives us an option to opt out, and there can be some benefit returned to me if they use my experiences in the product to help fix problems. However, my complaint is that Intuit has changed this from an opt-in to an opt-out decision. I’d rather say “sure, go ahead and use my data”, rather than have them take my data unless I take several steps to tell them no.
So, a mini-rant. Not one of those earthshaking screaming fits, just a grumpy notice that I don’t like this new approach (and, whenever I decide to move MY real company file up to QuickBooks 2015, I’m going to opt out right away).