Tracking your web visits to "enhance your online experience"

[DavidAllred]

What planet do these people come from? I just read that Charter Cable is logging IP visits of their customers, and time spent at each IP, then selling your internet habits to a marketing firm. From their website:

"While continuing to deliver the same fast and reliable Internet service you’ve always received, innovative new technology in the field of online advertising enables Charter to provide you with an enhanced online experience that is more customized to your interests and activities. As a result of this service, the advertising you typically see online will better reflect the interests you express through your web-surfing activity. You will not see more ads – just ads that are more relevant to you."

I'm glad I don't use them anymore, but my guess is that every service provider will be doing this within two years.

It kind of makes me sick to think what kind of information is going to be accumulated, recorded, and stored over the next ten years... then our private lives will be mercilessly exploited by every company in the world (and possibly the government) to manufacture our lives in a way that they can all justify as "enhancing" our life experiences.

Bastards.

[Sound Silence]

That sounds ridiculous. I don't want my online experience "enhanced".

[livin_target]

What planet do these people come from? I just read that Charter Cable is logging IP visits of their customers, and time spent at each IP, then selling your internet habits to a marketing firm. From their website:

"While continuing to deliver the same fast and reliable Internet service you’ve always received, innovative new technology in the field of online advertising enables Charter to provide you with an enhanced online experience that is more customized to your interests and activities. As a result of this service, the advertising you typically see online will better reflect the interests you express through your web-surfing activity. You will not see more ads – just ads that are more relevant to you."

I'm glad I don't use them anymore, but my guess is that every service provider will be doing this within two years.

It kind of makes me sick to think what kind of information is going to be accumulated, recorded, and stored over the next ten years... then our private lives will be mercilessly exploited by every company in the world (and possibly the government) to manufacture our lives in a way that they can all justify as "enhancing" our life experiences.

Bastards.

This is far more reaching than just an ISP. Pretty much every company has devised ways of tracking what you buy/order/look at. Hell, google probably has enough info to blackmail 50% of the whole world. What annoys me most about it is that companies will try to exploit people who are trying to save a buck to do it (want cheaper deals? buy a club card! *cough* of course, we aren't going to tell you that we're recording everything you buy with it to sell to other companies but you'll get a 5% discount!*cough*).

I'm pretty sure that you should be able to find an ISP that offers privacy pretty fast though. There are those that understand that you want to keep your info private.

[titanfan]

Do all your surfing through a proxy.

[Tobias March]

There was a story on the bbc website today about lending companies targeting facebook users.

[DungeonmasterJim]

I'm not sure that this is really that new. When I was a cashier back in the early 90's at Toys R Us we always had to ask for either a phone number or a zip code. We were told by management that when it was a phone call it was so ads could be sent to people linked to their buying habits.

I'm also sure that my local supermarkets do this as I get coupons for things I buy rather than stuff I never buy.

DM Jim

[Red Jack]

What planet do these people come from? I just read that Charter Cable is logging IP visits of their customers, and time spent at each IP, then selling your internet habits to a marketing firm. From their website:

"While continuing to deliver the same fast and reliable Internet service you’ve always received, innovative new technology in the field of online advertising enables Charter to provide you with an enhanced online experience that is more customized to your interests and activities. As a result of this service, the advertising you typically see online will better reflect the interests you express through your web-surfing activity. You will not see more ads – just ads that are more relevant to you."

I'm glad I don't use them anymore, but my guess is that every service provider will be doing this within two years.

It kind of makes me sick to think what kind of information is going to be accumulated, recorded, and stored over the next ten years... then our private lives will be mercilessly exploited by every company in the world (and possibly the government) to manufacture our lives in a way that they can all justify as "enhancing" our life experiences.

Bastards.

Don't sweat it. Wait for the "ghost hack."

Smeone will find a way to cloak your net movements if they haven't already.

The real brains, as usual, are outside the corporate structure. They are always playing catch up.

[Paradox]

My favorite is NetZero, who, right in their ToS, reserves the right to download onto your computer anything they wish. Yeah, that made me want THEIR product when I was still looking for a dialup.