ITunes 6.0.2 is unequivocally spyware

Question

As of 6.0.2, iTunes:
- Automatically sends data about users' music listening to Apple's servers, without informing the user even at the time that it is doing so, much less giving warning beforehand.
- Uses this stolen information for the deplorable purpose of assailing users with spam hawking Apple's products.
- Relies on intentionally deceptive documentation in order to sucker users into installing this tainted version. "Performance and stability improvements" my foot.
Yes, the current version does include a small unlabelled button by which you can disable this "feature" after it is already too late. No, that is not anywhere near good enough to make this anything other than an astoundingly offensive disregard for privacy.
I love Apple and their products, but this is one of the few crimes ghastly enough to cause me to warn anyone who'll listen that they are untrustworthy.
  Mac OS X (10.4.4)  

Answer 1

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Though I should point out that we don't actually have verified confirmation from Apple that they don't store this information, and we certainly don't have a guarantee that they won't do so in the future. All we have is one Macworld story that claims that "a source" within Apple assures us that they're not storing it now.
I'm not sure if this link will come through. I'm still not real proficient with cutting and pasting links:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303066
You'll note there that they say when the store is hidden, no data is sent regarding the highlited track. If you want to get upset with what they might do in the future, I suppose that is a legitimate concern. But from everything I've seen Apple/iTunes do, it seems to me that they're trying to be very careful about user's privacy. There's a feature in the main Music Store called "Just For You". It only recommends stuff that you tell it right then and there that you have/don't have/don't like, etc.
The fact that the MiniStore keeps recommending to me stuff that I've already purchased from them reinforces my belief that they are not storing the data. Otherwise they would be recommending to me stuff that I haven't bought yet.
Given that Apple's goal with this feature was to plaster advertising all over my display, I have a hard time ascribing purity and altruism to their decision making process.
They didn't plaster it "all over your display", they plastered it in the bottom 1/4 of your main iTunes window. You can make that go away, several ways. Among the 2 ways already mantioned, you can minimize the itunes window, you can turn it into the little mini player. Your -display- will have no advertising.
There's a difference between your display and the iTunes main window.
I'm afraid that you are assuming incorrectly. I am aware that it "only" sends information about tracks that are selected. I fail to see, however, in what way that's substantially less offensive.
An application that wishes to send any of my private information outside my computer needs to have my explicit knowledge and consent, and have them before it ever does so. Whether it's a few songs or an entire playlist does not alter Apple's violation of this simple principle.
No need to be afraid. My assumption wont hurt you.
What they're doing is what some people refer to as Web 2.0. They've made it interactive. If iTunes sends information that isn't stored, and they use that information to recommend other music, then what's the harm if you can make the advertising go away? Lots of shareware out there has advertising built in that you can only make go away if you register the program. With iTunes all you need to do is click a button.
Also, did you read the licensing agreement before you clicked on "I Agree"? If you clicked on "I Agree" then you gave them consent. It's only your own fault if you did not have explicit knowledge. It's your job to read the fine print. Apple cannot send a person to every person's house to explain it verbally and have them initial next to each point in the agreement.