Well, it was bound to happen. The tinfoil hat-wearing crowd has won another PR battle. After releasing a cool new "mini store" feature to iTunes last week, Apple was forced today to add a consent form to iTunes. As soon as it was discovered that Apple was monitoring what people were listening to, iTunes users went ape-shit. Apple was spying on them! They were mining their information and selling it to the Chinese! How dare they spy on me! Now they know I own and listen to Can't Slow Down still.

Calm down, people. Apple implemented a feature that most music fans go out of their way to use on websites. Who hasn't checked out the "Customers who bought this album also bought" section while looking at a CD on Amazon? Some people (myself included) even use the Last.fm service, which is not only letting someone spy on your listening habits, it's going out of your way to send that information to someone.

Apple is not stealing your soul. They added a useful new feature to iTunes that benefits Apple and you. It's a win/win situation. So take off your tinfoil hats, fire up The Best of Foghat, and let Apple recommend that you also listen to Billy Idol: Greatest Hits. Hmmm. Ok. So that's not the best recommendation, but at least it's a start.