posted by
janrinok
on Friday October 09 2015, @05:57AM
from the but-it's-what-you-want,-right? dept.
from the but-it's-what-you-want,-right? dept.
El Reg reports:
US telco giant Verizon has given notice it will be providing information on its subscribers to AOL for targeted advertising.
A notice in Verizon's privacy policy warns users that beginning next month, information such as device information, addresses and whereabouts, and browsing habits, will be given to AOL so it can sling relevant ads at netizens.
"Starting in November, we will combine Verizon's existing advertising programs – Relevant Mobile Advertising and Verizon Selects – into the AOL Advertising Network," Verizon said.
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Verizon to Share Subscriber Information With AOL for Targeted Advertising
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(Score: 3, Informative) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday October 09 2015, @06:11AM
You can keep a lid on the tracking of your browsing habits by blackholing web and mobile analytics servers:
127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 ssl.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 www.hosted-pixel.com # I Swear I'm Not Making This Up
In principle your ISP has direct access to your browsing habits; in practice I expect they just snoop on your DNS queries. It may be enough just to use someone else's, or to set up your own caching DNS server on a VM host.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @06:31AM
Verizon is the one that sends modified HTTP headers with information to identify their customers to each website they visit. Blocking stuff won't help if they're directly modifying your traffic to say "I am Verizon customer #2140195" every time your browser requests an image or markup on a website!
Source: https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/unique-identifier-header-faqs/ [verizonwireless.com]
(Score: 1) by Francis on Friday October 09 2015, @03:37PM
Indeed, there's really only two things to do here. Change providers or pollute the hell out of your data. Include so much bullshit that you're not interested in that the data is worthless.
Changing providers is getting less and less viable over time as they've been allowed to buy out their competition.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @07:13PM
Could you pollute the data by inserting your own bogus verizon customer identification number header? IOW does there insertion strip other headers with the same name or just blindly insert one?
(Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday October 10 2015, @04:17PM
You'd have to use something like trust me not to have it run random searches from time to time and visit sites that aren't interesting. The downside is that it would eat through your data plan a bit.
The best thing is to just switch providers or send angry letters to Congress demanding something be done about this. We have very few options of whom to give our money to for this kind of service, claiming consent is ridiculous.
(Score: 2) by el_oscuro on Friday October 09 2015, @09:53PM
Also, avoid these trackers:
# Blocking facebook
# https://winbeginner.com/block-facebook-hosts-file-windows-pc/ [winbeginner.com]
127.0.0.1 facebook.com
127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 login.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 www.login.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 fbcdn.net
127.0.0.1 www.fbcdn.net
127.0.0.1 fbcdn.com
127.0.0.1 www.fbcdn.com
127.0.0.1 static.ak.fbcdn.net
127.0.0.1 static.ak.connect.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 connect.facebook.net
127.0.0.1 www.connect.facebook.net
127.0.0.1 apps.facebook.com
# Block Facebook IPv6
#fe80::1%lo0 localhost
::1 facebook.com
::1 www.facebook.com
::1 login.facebook.com
::1 www.login.facebook.com
::1 fbcdn.net
::1 www.fbcdn.net
::1 fbcdn.com
::1 www.fbcdn.com
::1 static.ak.fbcdn.net
::1 static.ak.connect.facebook.com
::1 connect.facebook.net
::1 www.connect.facebook.net
::1 apps.facebook.com
::1 edge-star6-shv-02-ams2.facebook.com
SoylentNews is Bacon! [nueskes.com]
(Score: 4, Touché) by http on Friday October 09 2015, @06:21AM
Why are all the mass shootings at schools instead of telephone and cable companies?
I browse at -1 when I have mod points. It's unsettling.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Friday October 09 2015, @06:53AM
trying to get the CEO's early? oops, wrong schools.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @01:48PM
Rich people are above reproach because they worked hard to earn all their wealth. Poor people, like the ones who send their kids to public schools, deserve it because they're lazy layabouts.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @05:13PM
Plus, they are job creators. The GOP says so. /sarcasm
And they are always insisting that the rest of us help pay for their kid's college education. Fucking vermin!
(Score: 2) by moondoctor on Friday October 09 2015, @08:31AM
verizon + AOL + your data
What could possibly go wrong?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @09:10AM
Something like this would never happen in an even remotely free market. Verizon is leveraging their dominant ownership of radio spectrum to coerce their customers into putting up with this shit. Its time we start putting more strings on spectrum licenses than just a rental fee.
(Score: 2) by ticho on Friday October 09 2015, @10:46AM
How cute, you think you have a say in the matter. You are not from the ruling class, get back to your bread and circuses!
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @01:29PM
coerce their customers into putting up with this shit
No, the apathy of most of their customers to this type of tracking would ensure this happening in a free market as well. Hell, people are willing to install GPS trackers in their cars to get lower insurance rates.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @03:46PM
Something like that would also not happen in a market that is a bit more regulated/controlled than what we have in the US. It is 'free market' (and consumer complacency) that got you here in the first place. If only politicians would work for the individuals in their district, but now I'm talking crazy-talk...
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @05:22PM
Politicians work for the squeaky wheel. The individuals in the district need to let the politicians know what their grievances are. Here it is considered "cool" to disassociate with politics because "they are all the same" or "it doesn't make a difference", but as the saying goes: all politics is local.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @02:22PM
"The now-standard 'Web 2.0' business model:
1. Brutally sodomize the personal privacy of anyone who comes within a mile of your service and say 'hey baby, I'm sorry' every time you're busted.
2. Sell ads."
- David Gerard
(Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Friday October 09 2015, @08:32PM
How is this different from what Google and Android or any other big web company does?
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