DracoFelis
Premium
join:2003-06-15
| This is about PRIVACY
This is lovely "SPIN", but IMHO it really is BS in the end.
The bottom line is that this technology (by its vary nature of being a gateway for the ISPs trucks) depends upon INVADING PRIVACY to work, and therefore (due to that invasion of privacy) deserves to be ILLEGAL (which in fact it might very well be, given existing wiretap laws, etc). Even if you "opt out", your privacy is apparently still invaded (you just don't get the "targeted ads", but it still appears as if you are watched).
The thing is, if this was just about the "targeted ads" it would still be slimy, but much less of a problem. As other have pointed out, "ad blocking software" can easily eat any undesired "targeted ads". But (and this is key), it's NOT all about the ads (that's just the semi-legit place companies like this make their money).
The true problem is the spying that is done (supposedly just to allow them to "target" the ads), and that means a massive invasion of privacy! And that invasion of privacy should be much more of a concern to people, than the minor annoyance of "targeted ads"...
Of course, as others have pointed out, a CEO with a lot of money might be able to successfully "lobby congress" to get the laws changed to what they desire, no matter how in the wrong their position is. And so there is still a real chance that this company could still get its wish. Of course, if things ran the way civics class says they should, IMHO the proper response for blatant abuse of privacy and existing laws should be criminal charges against company officials (assuming that they really have broken existing privacy/wiretap/etc laws as part of their "business plan"). But we all know that when money and politics are involved, what "should happen" and what "does happen" are not always the same thing. |
