swhx7
Premium
join:2006-07-23
Elbonia
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to en102
Re: Bring it on...
The Google cookie, and other tracking by advertisers online, is not comparable to the Nebuad spybox. The difference is that you can opt out of any online tracking by ad servers, etc. if you are well-informed enough to know what to do about cookies, javascript and other tricks that websites use. But when it's the ISP doing the data-mining, you can't opt out without the ISP allowing you to, because all your traffic is intercepted between you and the internet.
And of course the ISPs can put whatever they want in their "terms of service" and the vast majority of internet users don't have a choice of any other provider offering better terms. This is called (by economists) a market failure. (The telcos and cablecos talk about "letting the market handle it" when they want to avoid regulation, but they do all they can to prevent competition.)
That's why we need legislation to protect us from abuses like this. |
|
en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
| True - there is a VERY big difference between session logging at the web site level and intercepting/snarfing/eavesdropping on all packets, and reselling 'some'  of the information.
I think that even if there was a significant amount of competition, most, if not all would sell your information. Those that wouldn't sell your information would charge a premium... and you still can't guarantee that they wouldn't do it anyways.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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