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Comments on news posted 2011-08-11 12:29:27: Last week Berkeley researchers and the EFF announced that ten ISPs were covertly intercepting and sometimes redirecting user search results for additional profit. ..

Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd

Premium Member

Good.

I Know that nothing will come of this but at least it got some media attention.

However What bothers me about the idea of ISPs snooping search data almost more than the privacy issues is they want to keep raising the cost of their product. they want caps and overages and in the future bill by the byte, yet they keep profiting off our personal data while not kicking any kinds of discounts to the users whos data they are profiting off of.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

3 recommendations

pnh102

Premium Member

Wrong Headline

quote:
Paxfire Snooping Scandal Gets Political Attention
Translation: Paxfire's Campaign Contribution Checks Have Not Cleared

Camaro
Question everything
Premium Member
join:2008-04-05
Westfield, MA

Camaro

Premium Member

Kind of funny...

That every ISP has jumped on the caps,overages bandwagon.Then they run right out and jack up rates to cover whatever they pull out of there ass for a excuse every year,but to top it off they run right out and buy shiny new snooping equipment to make more of a profit off of us and don't even bother upgrading anything that would help with capacity of there network.

Anonymous182
@cox.com

Anonymous182

Anon

It's *possible* the ISPs are unaware

It's not very likely, but it is possible that the ISPs truly didn't know that this was happening, if this comment is to be believed (from a previous story): »Paxfire is shady

The most relevant part:
Even though we ONLY use them for NXDOMAIN redirection, we've caught them performing this search hijacking in the past. The first time, they told me that they were requested to make the change by an individual that hadn't worked for us in 3 years. I raised hell about it, and they reverted it. Since then, I've been watching for it, and they've made 'configuration mistakes' to turn this back on more than a few times.

I very much suspect that they're intentionally turning this on without ISP knowledge to increase revenues, reverting it when they get caught.

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

NOYB

Premium Member

Call Redirection


The snooping part is bad enough. But imagine, you place a phone call and your carrier redirects your call to one of their buddies who impersonates the party you intended to call. Or how about this. Rather than redirecting your call they alter the conversation so neither of you actually knows what the other really said.

Imagine if phone companies did this with wrong / disconnected numbers. Oh we thought you intended to call the Whitehouse, FBI, CIA, 911, etc.
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
Westell 6100
Cisco PIX 501

1 recommendation

cramer to Anonymous182

Premium Member

to Anonymous182

Re: It's *possible* the ISPs are unaware

Somehow I highly doubt that. The ISPs know exactly what it'll do (and what it is doing), that's why they bought it. If they don't have configuration control over the devices in their network, then they are incompetent fools and will be learning a hard lesson in criminal negligence.

(However, history has shown any "action" against them will be the equiv of a finger wag... "don't do that again". Any fine(s) will be laughable often amounting to pennies per customer, when these tactics earned them considerable money -- and that's why the greedy little bastards *ALWAYS* do it again.)

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

1 edit

NOYB

Premium Member


Yup. Penalties need to more than erase gains. And should be in form of a refund to customers (injured/violated parties). But if you really want strong action to be taken, have the penalties go directly to Congressional Reps. Sadly, money seems to be their only motivation as well. Well, right behind power that is.

Kind of reminds me of the Larry, Darryl, and Darryl Slogan; “Anything for a buck”.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop to Camaro

Member

to Camaro

Re: Kind of funny...

"That every ISP has jumped on the caps,overages bandwagon."

Every ISP?

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

said by battleop:

"That every ISP has jumped on the caps,overages bandwagon."

Every ISP?

Every one thats got OVERPRICED VIDEO to protect has.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

So that's not EVERY ISP... So maybe there is not a secret group that all ISPs belong to where we sit around smoking fine Cuban cigars and drinking only the most expensive whisky while plotting against all consumers?

Camaro
Question everything
Premium Member
join:2008-04-05
Westfield, MA

Camaro

Premium Member

I don't think they are sitting around sipping whiskey,but when one company decides to try something like the crap they have been pulling,the other company's play wait and see if how much backlash comes from customers,FCC if any.Then everyone see's dollar signs with no reinvestment intentions in the great networks they brag about on TV.

cdr1000
join:2004-02-18
10100

cdr1000 to NOYB

Member

to NOYB

Re: Call Redirection

How much can dumb RCN make on hijacking?

How will dumb RCN waste on legal fees?