I moved the responses to the original post over here.
Rant away, folks. I share your pain.
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Congress allows ISPs to sell all of their gathered data
- This topic has 96 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 11 months ago.
Viewing 43 reply threadsAuthor-
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Indeed, that’s how the Rep******* justified it: that tech companies can and that’s discrimination of ISPs.
No one should be surprised that the “democratically elected reps” are very concerned with inequality between corporations, but don’t give a d**n about inequality between corporations and the public.
Some democracy!
Edited for content. Please follow the Lounge Rules
1 user thanked author for this post.
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The only ones who can make this country great again are the ones who have allowed all this to happen in the first place; the apathetic, clueless public. Good luck getting everyone to set aside all their differences and hatreds first because this country couldn’t get much more divided at this point. People are too busy hating each other to do anything about this stuff since we’ve apparently decided that it’s better to find ways to hate each other than it is to find ways to work together, but first you’ll have to convince them that they should be upset at losing freedoms and liberties every day right under their noses. It’s a sad state of affairs for sure. I truly fear for the future because this stuff isn’t going to just stop.
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That stinks!!!
Oh well. Guess it’s time to shut off the PC and cellphone now.
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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How is that a “consolation”?
Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server1 user thanked author for this post.
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> If MS-Win 10 can do it, ie extensive Telemetry & Data collection on hundred millions of users, why not the ISPs.?
The answer, of course, is that NOBODY should do it. The function of govt is to stop corporations from abusing the public, not facilitate it.
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What’s next?
Garbage collection serivces mining for data?
Shreading services mining data before destroying documents?
Power cooperatives mining AC lines or the meter; taping for powerline ethernet adapters?
Sewer companys mining your excrement for data?If Google got busted for listing or capturing SSID doing Google Maps, how differnet is this?
Is there such a thing as a dumb pipe anymore?
1 user thanked author for this post.
This is actually a looting spree protected under the law. The ISPs can now pillage, ransack, rifle, rob and burgle with impunity.
If an employee steals sensitive data from a company they worked for there is a bill known as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act that comes into play. An employee with authorized access to company data can not use it for personal profit. The individual can be charged with many crimes and face jail time if found guilty.
The government has just given ISPs authorized access to their customer’s personal data. Not only have they given them authorization, they have given them permission under the law, to profit from it. The lobbyists argue that the data will be used to profile clients (for targeted advertising). Now I’d say that is Identity Theft.
Identity Theft: the fraudulent acquisition and use of a person’s private identifying information, usually for financial gain.
This is the sort of thing that could be effective, but I doubt that even that will make any dent given where society is at this point.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Here they all come:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/03/30/0112259/verizon-to-force-appflash-spyware-on-android-phones
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Ah, maybe they will, but can you trust them?
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Good read:
VPNs Won’t Save You from Congress’ Internet Privacy Giveaway
https://www.wired.com/2017/03/vpns-wont-save-congress-internet-privacy-giveaway/
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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On the same note…
Attempts at data collect may not go away, but you can bank that twarting the IoT’s, Smart devices, and other’s leaking info onto the web (ISP) will be looked upon with introspection and purpose.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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I dunno. I build my own.
The only way to be 100% sure is to tun off all of your electronics and go back to the pre-internet age.
But then again, if your neighbors are being paid to spy on you, going off-grid may not be 100% effective either?
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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That article is over a year old. There has been a lot more discussion and reporting on that topic since that was published.
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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IMHO those that stand to profit from the upcoming rise of “internet of things” need to reconsider that this new rule may put a huge damper on that market growth, if the consumer becomes suspicious, rather than following the flock. Jus sayin!
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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My thought is that most consumers aren’t even aware of these issues. They see an IoT device, it’s presented to them as the latest thing, and they buy it. No aspect of the IoT device other than its primary function even enters their mind.
So I respectfully disagree with you when you say that the new rules (or lack of them) will put a damper on the market growth of IoT devices.
Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server1 user thanked author for this post.
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With all due respect, I did qualify my statement with “if the consumer becomes suspicious”.
According to your point of view, that is not likely to happen. “Shiny object, must buy!”
The thing with IoT devices, is that each connected device is a potential telemetry data gathering point. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this all works out 🙂
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
1 user thanked author for this post.
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And the IoT devices with active microphones may be the largest privacy risk.
Your Kid’s Toys That “Talk” Could Be Spying on Your Family
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/news/a41768/toys-record-kids-talking/
Most of these toys connect to a smartphone app using Bluetooth, so they’re innately connected to the Internet. The trouble is that in order to interpret the things your kid says, the toy has to record the sound, and those sound recordings (any conversation that is happening around the toy) then get sent to the company that makes the speech technology.
The companies can do whatever they want with the recordings, including use it for targeted advertising and share it with a third party.
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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IoT devices can also be hacked and then used as part of a botnet for those who want to do DoS (Denial of Service) attacks. Or, someone could put ransomware on your IoT device.
As far as the toy listening to your kid, it could also listen to anyone in the family. I could imagine a little girl with a “smart” doll, riding in the car with her parents and her little brother. The “smart” doll is connected via the parents’ wifi hotspot in their phone. And so someone could be listening to everything that is being said in the car all the while they are driving. Whatever advice the parents give to the kids, whatever political view are expressed, whatever they are listening to on the radio, all of this can be (and likely is being) monitored by whoever is on the other end — either the manufacturer of the doll, a third-party they have contracted with, or someone who has hacked into it.
Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server1 user thanked author for this post.
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Some toys even pair with bluetooth, so a wi-fi hotspot is not even necessary. And then record and transmit any audio within range to the speech tech company.
Example of speech recordings being sent to a defense contractor:
Example of data breach:
https://www.cnet.com/news/cloudpets-iot-smart-toy-flaws-hacking-kids-info-children-cybersecurity/
Example of hacking toys:
http://www.pandasecurity.com/mediacenter/tips/hacked-toy/
Apart from this unsettling surveillance of children, these toys pose another risk. According to the study, these products employ surreptitious advertising. Bouvet discovered that, over the course of conversations, the toys talk about other products, such as specific animation films.
As if that wasn’t enough, the investigators also discovered that the toys are able to be manipulated and that cybercriminals could hack them to cut into conversations with children or steal the conversations being recorded.
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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If You Want a VPN to Protect Your Privacy, Start Here
https://www.wired.com/2017/03/want-use-vpn-protect-privacy-start/
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
VPN Provider’s No-Logging Claims Tested in FBI Case
https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-providers-no-logging-claims-tested-in-fbi-case-160312/
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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I rest my case.
The reality is that the rent income from data mining is too strong a temptation to resist and there is no way to confirm that they assurances are false.
1 user thanked author for this post.
1 user thanked author for this post.
I have two comments after reading all of the above:
1. If you’re going to rant against Trump, Congress, or whoever, at least put your name on your post. It’s really wearying to see a real “let ’em have it” rant attributed to “anonymous”.
2. If you’re going to put a link to something, please at least put a comment about what is in the link.
3. There are ways to protect your privacy. The two ways I can see are:
a. Get some sort of app which will generate random internet traffic from your computer or phone. In this way, the information gathered by whoever will be meaningless, because it will all be fake.
b. Use a trustworthy VPN service for your actual internet activities, so as to hide the non-fake traffic.
Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file serverFWIW BetaNews has a new article featuring an infographic from the BestVPN website… It appears to provide some basic, common sense suggestions to help minimize ISP snooping…
https://betanews.com/2017/03/31/tips-protect-privacy-isp-snooping/
Private Internet Access™
No logging, $3.33 a month (yearly plan).
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/
VPN Service encrypts your connection and provides you with an anonymous IP to protect your privacy.
PIA provides state of the art, multi-layered security with advanced privacy protection using VPN tunneling. Scroll below to the Security Layers section to learn more about each individual layer.
Our services have been designed from the ground up to be able to operate using built-in technology pre-existing in your computer or smartphone device.
The services operate at the TCP/IP interface level, which means all of your applications will be secured, not just your web browser.
Instant activation with no installation required!
Reviewed here:
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
1 user thanked author for this post.
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IF: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/03/post-fcc-privacy-rules-should-you-vpn/
AND IF: thatoneprivacysite.net Side by Side comparison xlsx
ONLY IF: https://privacytoolsio.github.io/privacytools.io/
THEREFORE:
Why is it not recommended to choose a US based service?
Services based in the United States are not recommended because of the country’s surveillance programs, use of National Security Letters (NSLs) and accompanying gag orders, which forbid the recipient from talking about the request. This combination allows the government to secretly force companies to grant complete access to customer data and transform the service into a tool of mass surveillance.EDIT html edited
No but the alternate that happen last year was the opt in cost your monthly more. Real kick in the ***
Broadband by Karl Bode Tue, Apr 5th 2016 6:28am
As the FCC has started pushing for new privacy rules (precisely because of ISP moves like this), AT&T’s luxury-privacy option has been under heightened scrutiny. Speaking at a recent Consumer Federation of America panel, AT&T regulatory affairs executive Jacquelyne Flemming feebly tried to defend AT&T’s policy, likening it to a “discount” that bestows “reciprocal benefits” to consumers:
“We, AT&T, have a broadband Internet access service that we market to customers that if you agree, if you opt-in, to the use of your data for various reasons, then you get a discount,” Flemming continued. “That doesn’t mean that other people who don’t get the discount are paying for privacy. I wouldn’t say that,” she explained, even though that is in fact actually the case.”1 user thanked author for this post.
@ #105794
I disagree, the key factor is we need the FCC’s microscope on ATT et al, and any subscriber not savvy enough to inspect the “terms and conditions” would not have even seen the “Opt Out”.
I akin this to a standard install of Windows 8 and beyond with a Microsoft account to a “Let me choose” install with a local account.
So in this case, the media may be lauding AT&T for putting a $29 monthly price on the value of consumer privacy. But when I look at the practice, I see a company that has little competition, manipulating consumers into choosing to give up their privacy. Consumers do this, not because they get a $29 discount, but because after going through a fairly complicated sign up process and managing to click on the right button to even see the option to protect their privacy, they suddenly realize that keeping their privacy doesn’t cost $29 but rather $44 or even $66 per month.
That’s a very different story. And it’s one that AT&T makes it really difficult to report. by author Stacey Higginbotham. Feb 19, 2015 ~ Gigamom
1 user thanked author for this post.
Just stumbled across a 5+min piece by Stephen Colbert:
The Scrapping Of Internet Privacy: Something We Can All Hate Together
1 user thanked author for this post.
Interesting claim from AT&T, Comcast and Verizon. From Richard Lawler at Engadget:
AT&T, Comcast and Verizon explain that they don’t sell your browser history
But each company is already using customer data in ways you may not realize.
1 user thanked author for this post.
?Trump Signs Bill to Roll Back Privacy Rules into Law??
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/04/trump-signs-bill-roll-back-privacy-rules-law
April 3, 2017 | By Kate Tummarello
“A measure to roll back crucial privacy protections has crossed the finish line, and Internet users are worse off for it.”
“Despite massive backlash from the American people, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law a resolution that repeals the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules to protect consumers from privacy invasions by their Internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, and Time Warner Cable.”
aka – Lawyer full employment act.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Wow! My entire family has come together in agreement… the US Senate and Congress and president has sold us out…
Family that can’t agree on anything political, not party, not ideology, and argue endlessly… family spread from Alaska to Florida, New York to Hawaii… and they are in 100% agreement on this.
Trump really knows how to bring us all together!
Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter
1 user thanked author for this post.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee on ISP changes, reported on BBC today:
The web’s creator also said he was shocked by the direction the US Congress and Senate had taken when they voted to scrap laws preventing internet service providers from selling users’ data.
He said privacy online was as important as the trust between a doctor and a patient.See #106534 and earlier posts in the topic for background information.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee on ISP changes, reported on BBC today:
The web’s creator also said he was shocked by the direction the US Congress and Senate had taken when they voted to scrap laws preventing internet service providers from selling users’ data. He said privacy online was as important as the trust between a doctor and a patient.
See #106534 and earlier posts in the topic for background information.
I’m with Sir Tim on this issue!!!
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
A new article on Associated Press Technology today, discusses the political influence exercised by the telecommunications industry, in the ISP privacy debate.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BROADBAND_PRIVACY_LOBBYING“The overall lobbying tab for telecom services and telephone companies exceeded $123 million in 2016, the money-influence research group Center for Responsive Politics says. That makes them among the top-spending industries in Washington. By contrast, some of the most active privacy and consumer groups on the other side spent just over $1 million, according to the nonpartisan group’s data…
The lobbying on both sides goes far beyond privacy. Other issues on the agenda included immigration, taxes, cable boxes and cybersecurity. But the disparity in the spending totals shows that when it comes to politics, industry can wield a lot of power with its pocketbook.”The writer expects the next battle, over Net Neutrality, is likely to be a fiercer one than over ISPs selling browsing history. This would let ISPs favour their services over rivals’.
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[rant on] Yup! [/rant off]
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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Where is the real life “Miss Sloan” when you need em.. ehh?
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Zdnet.com filed a Freedom of Information request for the browsing history of the FCC chairman, who voted to approve ISPs selling browsing history, but was not provided the requested information.
In other words, Pai voted to allow internet providers to turn over your browsing history, but won’t let anyone see his.
Zac Whittaker’s article is an interesting read:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/fcc-chairman-browsing-history-freedom-of-information/-
Good find! Just follow the dollar … telecoms lobby …
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
I just found out that Avira Phantom VPN Free will give you 1GB/month free, if you sign up with an email address. Otherwise 500MB/month free if you use it anonymously.
For PC: https://www.avira.com/en/avira-phantom-vpn
Also available in Google Play store for Android. This tested fine over Wi-Fi, but couldn’t stay connected over my 3G cell data, when Wi-Fi was disconnected. Not really a big deal since cell data is already encrypted from prying eyes, but your cell provider can still follow you.
This VPN might be enough for a light web surfer … not many config options either, just plug and play. So it’s designed for the average user. Based on OpenVPN.
I tested it and the throughput performance is excellent in the USA. Not much slowdown on my broadband based on tests with Speedtest.net or testmy.net either.
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Good summary of all the shennanigans. Not a congress or senate for the people, that’s for sure.
Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter
1 user thanked author for this post.
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I recently found another FREE VPN that provides 10GB/month in bandwidth.
Check out “Windscribe”, a Canadian company.
Support for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Chrome. They are still working on Android, so it’s not available yet.
I imagine 10GB is enough to get you through a month of coffee shop or airport surfing! 🙂
I tested it and got decent throughput speeds on all access points except Central USA. The free version has access points in North America, EU, and Asia (Hong Kong).
Like I mentioned earlier, you can still get 1GB/month free with Avira Phantom VPN or SurfEasy VPN. 🙂
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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