DoD nixes vendor of online monitoring software over privacy concerns

04.12.2009
Echometrix Inc., a vendor of parental control software that is already under fire for alleged violations of an online children's privacy law, has been suspended from selling its products on a Department of Defense shopping portal because of privacy concerns.

The action was taken in late October, barely three weeks after Echometrix began listing its Internet monitoring products for sale through the U.S. Army and Air Force Exchange Service' ( ) Exchange Online Mall. However, news of the suspension surfaced only this week after the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) obtained documents relating to the incident via a request it had filed with the Defense Department.

The documents show that the AAFES removed Echometrix's My Military Sentry Parental Controls product from its Web site because of concerns EPIC raised that customer information was being surreptitiously collected and sold to third-parties by Echometrix.

An AAFES spokeswoman confirmed the suspension today and said that it had resulted from the privacy concerns raised by EPIC.

"To the best of our knowledge, no military personnel signed up for the service during the approximately three weeks it was available," the spokeswoman said. She added that Exchange Online Mall personnel are monitoring the situation and "will make a decision on how to proceed after further review."

Syosset, N.Y.-based Echometrix sells a range of parental control software designed to monitor children's activity on the Internet and to alert parents when a child encounters questionable material. The My Military Sentry product that was pulled from the AAFES Web site is identical to a civilian version of the product called Sentry.