(The rest isn't a response to seanhunter's comment, but a comment on the discussion in general)
If we take a step back from the discussion; I'd have to say that this is in a gray area that kind of ends up being mostly in the "ok" region - or possibly in the "probably not worth giving a shit about" region. There is a simple litmus test you can make: how would people have reacted if this had been limited to large corporations you do not like? The response would have been very different.
Let us at least be honest enough to admit that to ourselves.
That this is part of academic research doesn't really change anything.
It also needs to be said that people tend to be too uptight about perceived small infringements on what they see as their inalienable rights. If we are going to label subjects of what is at best described as akin to consumer research as victims we are watering out the term to the point where every person who has accessed the web is essentially a victim.
Hence the victim blaming someone tried to call out in a comment, is needless douchebaggery and drama. There are real victims of real transgressions and this is belittling.
People need to take themselves a bit less seriously. You are part of human subject research studies every time you use the web. And yet you come back for more every day.
Half of you probably contribute code and time to an industry that turns human behavior into numbers that the is translated into cash. And proudly so. Hypocrisy just makes us all look like douchebags.