A legal disclaimer that links to an updated Privacy Policy from Canonical has been added to the Unity Dash in Ubuntu 12.10.

The policy details how personal data is used and what it’s used for when ‘online results’, such as the Shopping Lens, are enabled.

The disclaimer appears on the lower right-hand corner of the Dash, a prominent spot that is hard to miss.

Clicking on this link opens a local copy of Canonical’s Privacy Policy for viewing: –

Although it looks pretty plain (nothing a bit of CSS won’t sort out) the text is surprisingly easy to read (as Privacy Policies go). It’s free of overly complex jargon, and easy to understand. It’s also pretty short – which helps!

After the notice has been opened the link in the Dash changes from text reading ‘legal notice’ to a small information icon:

These changes will be landing in Ubuntu 12.10 in the coming hour or so.

End of the Issue?

Will the addition of this legal notice mean the end of complaints about the shopping lens?

I’m certainly hoping so.

Most of the arguments against its inclusion have now been well voiced and subsequently, throughout the development of this feature, countered with remedies.

The lens can be switched off or removed; what data sent is now documented; and all transfers are now secure.