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Portals Have Shouting Match Over Chat

Yahoo, MSN rile AOL by offering IM-compatible messaging.

  

A war of words broke out over chat methods Thursday, with America Online, Yahoo, and Microsoft representatives arguing over the use of AOL's hugely popular instant messaging technology. AOL accuses both Yahoo and Microsoft's MSN service of a "serious breach of privacy and security" against AOL members and users of AOL's Instant Messenger client.

AOL maintains that MSN and Yahoo are violating member privacy and security by imprudently gaining access to the Instant Messenger service.

It all started when Yahoo joined MSN on Thursday in releasing a messaging client that lets users chat with AOL's estimated 25 million Instant Messenger members.

AOL's beef is about the way both Yahoo and MSN ensure IM's compatibility with their new services. According to AOL representatives, if you want to chat with people running AOL's IM client while you're using the Yahoo or MSN service, you must divulge your AOL user name and password when you sign up for either service. If you are not an AOL member, you must register for AOL's IM service and then divulge your user name and password to MSN or Yahoo to obtain the compatible service.

Once you've typed in your user name and password, both MSN and Yahoo Messenger set up programs that invite you to import your IM contact list and make their competing instant messaging service your default chat client.

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