[303] in Privacy_Forum
[ PRIVACY Forum ] ISPs spying on users' Web browsing for ad systems
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (privacy@vortex.com)
Thu Dec 6 21:05:48 2007
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Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:16:03 -0800
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[ From NNSquad Mailing List ]
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 16:09:09 -0800
From: "Robb Topolski" <robb@funchords.com>
To: nnsquad@nnsquad.org
Subject: CenturyTel uses DPI to determine browsing habits
for targeted advertising
CenturyTel Inc., a Monroe, La., phone company that provides Internet
access and long-distance calling services, is facing stiff competition
from cellphone companies and cable operators. So to diversify, it's
getting into the online-advertising business.
CenturyTel's system allows it to observe and analyze the online
activities of its Internet customers, keeping tabs on every Web site
they visit. The equipment is made by a Silicon Valley start-up called
NebuAd Inc. and installed right into the phone company's network.
NebuAd takes the information it collects and offers advertisers the
chance to place online ads targeted to individual consumers. NebuAd
and CenturyTel get paid whenever a consumer clicks on an ad.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119690164549315192.html
--
Robb Topolski (robb@funchords.com)
Hillsboro, Oregon USA
http://www.funchords.com/
[ As far as I am concerned, this sort of behavior is utterly
and completely unacceptable from a conventional ISP at the
primary Internet access level, whether or not an "opt-out" is
offered. And I love the part in the story where they claim
that sites related to "sex, health, or politics" aren't
tracked. Exactly how is *that* list derived, one wonders?
I won't even start here on the many ways that this sort of
technology could be massively abused.
-- Lauren Weinstein
NNSquad Moderator ]
- - -
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com or lauren@pfir.org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
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