BoingBoing have written a piece on iTunes 6.02's potential spyware antics. According to Cory: "The question is: how does Apple know which version of the Mini-Store to show you unless iTunes first transmits the current song that you're playing to Apple?"

It's possible that the mini-store is simply doing a lookup for the artist you're listening to (using something like a query string in the url, eg:www.itunesmusicstore.com?mode=mini&artist=dido) and displaying a frame of results in iTunes as a result. Certainly, the mini store functionality doesn't require Apple to store your listening habits, but perhaps their iWeb application does. It claims to allow you to publish information on your listening tastes, so does this mean that iTunes needs to phone home to update it? Is this phoning home happening regardless of .Mac membership? Who knows.

The question, for me at least, is: Does the average user mind/care if Apple know what I'm listening to? Given the popularity of services like AudioScrobbler (or Last.fm) would users actually enjoy an Apple hosted service which gave the world (Apple included) a window onto your listening habits.