Reply to: ISP's analyse your traffic to pimp adverts

[HRH]

I don't have a supermarket loyalty card for that reason, and I'm not overly troubled by the ads, as explained. It's more the profiling and the potential for misuse that bothers.

Also - it's 'opt in' by default.

Yeah you're spot on its totally wrong, my point was that some people are slighly naiive about the way large companies view us and the tactics they employ.

[realityhack]

Companies have been doing this for year......do you think that Tesco/Sainsburys give you nectar/clubcards to save you money? Of course not its to analyze your spending habits....

I don't have a supermarket loyalty card for that reason, and I'm not overly troubled by the ads, as explained. It's more the profiling and the potential for misuse that bothers.

Also - it's 'opt in' by default.

[realityhack]

Well, I've just written a letter about this to the Information Commissioner and my local MP. That will be the first time I've done such a thing.

The emphases in comments and on www.badphorm.co.uk are on 'targeted ads', not the potential misuse of your browsing data - in real time. I couldn't give 2 hoots about the ads - it's the prospect of having my every move online captured that I'm a tad annoyed about.

I wonder if this constitutes a breach of contract with my ISP. I'll have to check the T&Cs later on. I'll be an ex-Virgin customer if they adopt this.

[HRH]

From now on, your ISP will own and sell your click trails, tied into your real ID, your credit card number, your address, postcode and phone number.

They will analyze and profile your surfing habits and sell the results to anyone who will pay.

Your every online thought, wish and expression will be neatly categorized by your ISP and turned into a 'data-mineable' resource for every marketeer who wants to buy in.

The information your ISP has on you, and your surfing habits, is the ultimate marketeer's wet dream.

From here on in, you will have no privacy online.

Get used to it.

Companies have been doing this for year......do you think that Tesco/Sainsburys give you nectar/clubcards to save you money? Of course not its to analyze your spending habits....

[basshead]

Just use opendns.

Not enough.

[gingerjedi]

Just use opendns.

[ratewhore]

Personally, I'm considering using Tor or some such to maintain my privacy.

Slow as a slow thing...

[realityhack]

Personally, I'm considering using Tor or some such to maintain my privacy. My browsing habits aren't going to raise any red flags, but I'd rather not be profiled, thanks, with my profile stored and used by A N Other.

If the black helicopter brigade were to be curious about my browsing, for however long the data is stored, then all they need do is ask for the IP associated with the info, or hand them my IP. One step forward to a police state IMO.

[realityhack]

Someone posted a linky to that yesterday.

That was me, linky.

Let's not miss the point here, this isn't merely about targeted advertising. Read up.

[OwlHoot]

Once more people cotton on to what is happening, there will be more of a market for anonymous proxies which web clients with static IP addresses can pay a small subscription to use and have all their HTTP transfers encrypted via https, and end URLs encrypted, so their ISPs can't analyze the traffic or even which sites are being visited.

[bogeyman]

I block all ad's anyway

You're missing the point Miffy.

Targeted advertising is the least of the issues.

They (ISPs) are analyzing your surfing habits and will use that to build a profile of your preferences and habits. They will no doubt sell this information.

This is a sinister, yet inevitable, consequence of the Internet.

[bogeyman]

Hello and welcome to the future

From now on, your ISP will own and sell your click trails, tied into your real ID, your credit card number, your address, postcode and phone number.

They will analyze and profile your surfing habits and sell the results to anyone who will pay.

Your every online thought, wish and expression will be neatly categorized by your ISP and turned into a 'data-mineable' resource for every marketeer who wants to buy in.

The information your ISP has on you, and your surfing habits, is the ultimate marketeer's wet dream.

From here on in, you will have no privacy online.

Get used to it.

[EternalOptimist]

Someone posted a linky to that yesterday.

It's not good news really, but then with the cost of broadband connections now (almost peanuts) they obviously want their money back from somewhere!

I saved over £300 last year by moving onto a Virgin bundle so I'm obviously happy.

I block all ad's anyway. I have a plug-in for IE and one for squid on the proxy at home. Makes life more bearable, some sites have so much advertising it's impossible to tollerate them for more than 10 seconds (or am I just becoming an old foggie).

what ?
you are boasting about saving £300 in a year !!!
a proper contractor boasts about making an additional £300 in an afternoon !!
begone with you

[hyperD]

I'm doomed - my wife and I share the same broadband connection - she's gonna know I surf youporn.com with all the dirty ads she's gonna get!

[miffy]

Yes, but they will know you are a CUK board poster...

True.

My browsing habits are pretty boring really. I only visit about a dozen sites regularly. The odd warez site will make their red lights come on though!

Oh, and usenet