What are Yahoo! Widgets and Applications?
Applications and Widgets are a way for your favorite info to come straight to you without surfing around the web for what you use most. You can customize your desktop, Yahoo! homepage and Yahoo! mobile environments by getting connected with the Yahoo! Widget engine and third parties developers. Adding applications called “Open Apps” allows you to interact with information and tools for just about anything that you're interested in. ‘Open Apps’ are mini versions of the web sites you can connect to via Yahoo!.
What are some possible risks using widgets and 3rd party apps on my PC or mobile?
All Yahoo! users are expected to act in ways that build a great community. They have to follow the Yahoo! Community Guidelines and the Yahoo! Terms of Service. Widgets developed by Yahoo! are subject to the Yahoo! Privacy Policy. Developers who make applications available on Yahoo! are subject to the Yahoo! Developer Network Community Guidelines, and the Yahoo! Developer Network Terms of Use.
But things happen. Just like there can be risks in your hometown, problems can possibly pop-up in a developer created community or application.
Check out our general tips for online safety. Be savvy whether you’re on Yahoo! or using a third party application you got through Yahoo!, and remember:
Protect your personal info.
Remember that most widgets and third party applications available on Yahoo! are actually not created by Yahoo!. Developers can use Yahoo! to connect with you, to make your internet experience even more customized and fun for you. But let’s be clear—they don’t work for Yahoo!, they’re not part of Yahoo!, and Yahoo! doesn’t get to oversee their safety features they way we oversee its own.
In order to work, some Open Apps need to access your connections or other information. When you add an Open App, you will be told what information it is requesting access to. So, before you download any application to your computer or mobile phone, read the legal information and privacy policy the developer provides and review what information they want collect. Be cautious about sharing your information with anyone, friend or developer, and click Cancel if you are not comfortable with granting this access. To see who created an Open App, Click Options at the top of the Open App to open the menu, and Select More Info . This goes for your phone, too!
Guard your Privacy.
For Open Apps, there is also a checkbox for Update my connections as I use this. By default this option is selected. If you leave it selected, your connections can see what you're doing when you use that particular Open App.
Keep Your Location Private
Some mobile applications allow you to share your location with the developer, friends or the public at large. Be cautious about who you share your location with and think twice about ever making your location public. Yahoo! users under the age of 18 are not permitted to share their location.
Report Abuse
In your travels around the internet, there are times you may find someone abusing the system, from providing illegal content to privacy violations. To keep Yahoo! clean, there are Report Abuse links accessible through the Options menu of Open Apps, as well as at the bottom of the application frame, once the app has been installed and opened. Click on the Options menu, then select More info and click on Report abuse. We take abuse reports seriously, so please let us know when you find something that goes against the Yahoo! terms of service.
Watch your Data Plan on Mobile
Downloading and using widgets on your mobile device is an awesome and safe way to customize your Yahoo! Mobile online experience. Using the Internet — email, instant messages, web browsing, etc. — can get expensive. If you are accessing the Internet on a cell phone, make sure to sign up for an appropriate data plan. Ideally, you should have an unlimited data plan to be able to enjoy Yahoo! Mobile widgets in a cost effective way.
Remove an App
If you ever change your mind about giving an Open App access to your information, you can simply remove the Open App.
Developers will be able to collect information from you for the application, and there are no privacy settings or controls on the application. So, if you are uncomfortable with the information a developer wants from you or your computer, do not download the application. Only download applications from sources you trust! And if you have a change of heart after you’ve downloaded it, just delete the apps or widgets from your PC or mobile.
Mature Content
Developers agree not to post mature content in their applications on Yahoo!. If someone isn't being a good citizen of Yahoo!, such as by displaying mature content where it shouldn’t appear, you may come across content that could be considered inappropriate. If this happens, please report the abuse.
What else can I do to use Yahoo! more safely?
Start by checking out our general tips for online safety. There’s a bunch of good ones, including protecting your online identity, keeping your passwords secret, being cautious about contact with strangers, and creating a family pledge for online safety.
Yahoo! is committed to providing a safer online experience for all of us, and it complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Flickr has a number of safety features to limit your risks. However, protecting all of us is a responsibility we share with parents, teachers, and others.
