Comcast Literally Brought Big Brother into my Living Room

This is just so brazen!

We have all read the methods that the U.S. government is utilizing to spy on it's own citizens: all of the NSA online snooping, cell phones, cameras everywhere, etc. And then there is the corporate collection of our every website visit, retail location visits tracking our path through stores, and the never-ending web cookies.

I looked at a website for a new patio umbrella, seconds later, I see the ad on ATS for a random patio furniture store. Whatever.
In the past few months, I finally put it together that if I am watching TV & on the web at the same time, I will begin seeing ads on the website I'm viewing that were just on the TV channel I was tuned to. So creepy.

Comcast/Xfinity is my cable & internet service provider. I was just about to pay my bill online, when I see it has gone up $54.00. What the heck? So as I'm rummaging around their not-so-helpful website, and stumble upon the "my equipment page".

They have a name for my HD DVR box. It's called the Big Brother box! No freaking kidding...here is a screenshot.


Not even trying to hide their shameful spying. Ugh.

I'd be lost without my beloved interwebs--I'm a junkie. But I just ordered a Roku box, unplugged the DVR box, and am cancelling the TV services (goodbye $135 portion of my bill) and returning the equipment this morning.

Olivine
This is just so brazen!

We have all read the methods that the U.S. government is utilizing to spy on it's own citizens: all of the NSA online snooping, cell phones, cameras everywhere, etc. And then there is the corporate collection of our every website visit, retail location visits tracking our path through stores, and the never-ending web cookies.

I looked at a website for a new patio umbrella, seconds later, I see the ad on ATS for a random patio furniture store. Whatever.
In the past few months, I finally put it together that if I am watching TV & on the web at the same time, I will begin seeing ads on the website I'm viewing that were just on the TV channel I was tuned to. So creepy.

Comcast/Xfinity is my cable & internet service provider. I was just about to pay my bill online, when I see it has gone up $54.00. What the heck? So as I'm rummaging around their not-so-helpful website, and stumble upon the "my equipment page".

They have a name for my HD DVR box. It's called the Big Brother box! No freaking kidding...here is a screenshot.

Not even trying to hide their shameful spying. Ugh.

I'd be lost without my beloved interwebs--I'm a junkie. But I just ordered a Roku box, unplugged the DVR box, and am cancelling the TV services (goodbye $135 portion of my bill) and returning the equipment this morning.

Smart move. Time to start looking for caves once again to live in.

reply to post by Olivine


The big brother box??!!

That is brazen. Did you know they are re-doing 1984?

I have comcast internet, but i dont do cable, i wont do the xbox kinect either.

Next thing you know they'll have us doing our daily exercises or else.

OOOHHH..... They already have wii fit for that.

I wonder how long before they start marketing the rat cage that fits over your face. For your childrens safety of course.

reply to post by Olivine


It is funny your mention this

My wife brought it to my attention that and I clued into it; that when we are discussing any random topic

within a few min we will see an advertisement for what we were just talking about

We even have an older box because I refuse to get the updated box

I will say I will be checking my bill as well

reply to post by Olivine


You must submit, you must obey, you must eat specific junk food, you must not remove the "Big Brother" box.

My sister had an old style box on a TV in a separate room, and about two years ago called the cable company to replace a badly-functioning cable box in the living room. The guy went in to the bedroom uninvited and replaced the old box, telling her it was company policy and that box had to go in favor of the new one. Another cable guy a year or so earlier had advised her to never get rid of the old boxes, and he wouldn't tell her why. hmmmmmmmmm.

reply to post by Aleister


That reminds me of when all the tv stations were switching over to HD. I talked to a couple of tech guys who were from out of town working on it for our local stations they told me that the reasons we were given for making the switch over (besides picture quality) were not true and they didn't know the "real" reason.

reply to post by Woodcarver

Woodcarver
reply to post by Olivine

 

Next thing you know they'll have us doing our daily exercises or else.

OOOHHH..... They already have wii fit for that.

This made me laugh.

reply to post by tow69

tow69
reply to post by Olivine

 

My wife brought it to my attention that and I clued into it; that when we are discussing any random topic

within a few min we will see an advertisement for what we were just talking about

My husband and I have had the same thing happen. I talked myself into it being coincidence.

It really gives me the heebie geebies.


reply to post by musicismagic

A cave doesn't sound too bad at this point.

There are even kitchen appliances that can spy you now.

ABC News- 9 Household appliances that can spy on you...

reply to post by abe froman


The real reason is that the government needed to resync the standard flicker/output rate for all digital stations to induce the same kind of alpha trance-state they achieved with conventional CRT technology.

Staring at the flickering screen of modern television places people into a hypnotically susceptible trance state where their brain shifts to alpha waves and the logical discursive mind shuts off. While deep in this state you quite literally lose the ability to rationally analyze information beamed in through the TV. You just passively absorb all the commercials, all the propaganda, all the political "truths" of our so-called leaders.

See the basic idea here.

See the "conspiracy" (read: true) angle here.

Woodcarver
Next thing you know they'll have us doing our daily exercises or else.

OOOHHH..... They already have wii fit for that.

Wait... what?? That doesn't make any sense. Why would they want people to be healthy and fit? That's the last thing they would want. They don't want you to be strong and able to defend yourself.

Why do you think fast food is so much cheaper than healthy food? They want the masses to be waddling around in a stupor.

This reminds me of the fee I'm paying because my satellite receiver is NOT hooked to the internet "with the free adapter they provided", or the fee the cable company once charged for anyone's box that was NOT connected to a phone line.

reply to post by Xaphan


maybe...or it could just be used as an excuse to punish you for not keeping up with their rigourous standards.

reply to post by tow69


lol, that made me laugh. To put in on the internet, I've had conversations on Skype only to watch some of the subjects of some of those conversations pop up on Facebook's little "things you may be interested" in sidebars. One time, I was discussing an obscure singer from the 80's and their name popped up on the right. It always gives me a kind of nervous chuckle because a. I feel a little paranoid and b. I'm not sure whether I'm just letting random coincidence get to me or if it's all being fed into each other to make a "more compatible online environment catered specifically" for me.

It's either that or I control the world. Not sure yet. I'll let you know.

I don't even have cable or satellite for my T.V it's completely unplugged from anything like that, it's purely for movies, and gaming.
The odd time I will plug the HDMI from my computer to the T.V for maybe sporting events or something.
More and more interconnected technology is surfacing, and it's getting harder for people to fight the battle against it. It's not clear as day as say wire tapping or phone tapping is (which is why it's most likely illegal). I generally stay away from Google or apple products for a reason such as that. BlackBerry for my mobile life, and build my own PC for my at home life. And hesitant on getting a PS4.

I heard a rumor that Microsoft can spy on people through the Xbox one, pretty creepy.

I have been wondering lately exactly what capabilities "they" have to spy on us.

1) I have no doubt "smart" devices can spy on us easily but what about older tech?

2) Is there anywhere to find out what brands and or models of tv's cable boxes etc that have the ability to spy?

3) I presume comcast boxes can spy but has anyone really proved it yet and to what extent? camera's and or mic's?

4) I have intentionally avoided buying smart tv's to keep them from using the built-in camera's for spying.

reply to post by strongfp


I love the internet but hate cell phones. Havent had one in over a year. Worst invention ever if you ask me. I miss the 80's when if you didnt wanna talk to someone or didnt want them knowing where you were....you just didnt answer your house phone or you went somewhere you knew people wouldnt think to look for you. Now its basically a tracking device. Im resigned to the fact that any information obtainable by electronic means that they want...they will have. Most a person can do is limit the things they can track you with. I had the same phone number for 3 years and i would get phone calls from people asking for a person i never heard of. Then they would ask me how long i had the number because they used to call their son on it a few months ago or something like that. Stories I knew were clearly lies, calling from numbers that never got answered when called back from any number I ever tried to call back from. Sometimes i would get phone calls from numbers similar to numbers in my phone....almost identical but a number off or the number would be the same as someone i knew but the area code diff. Not like i'm anyone important to be getting tracked but I believe sometimes they just harrass people here and there.

Aleister
reply to post by Olivine

 

You must submit, you must obey, you must eat specific junk food, you must not remove the "Big Brother" box.

My sister had an old style box on a TV in a separate room, and about two years ago called the cable company to replace a badly-functioning cable box in the living room. The guy went in to the bedroom uninvited and replaced the old box, telling her it was company policy and that box had to go in favor of the new one. Another cable guy a year or so earlier had advised her to never get rid of the old boxes, and he wouldn't tell her why. hmmmmmmmmm.

that depends upon the cable company, type of "box", and a couple of other variables....

would you mind telling me what cable company it was, and what kind of box?

abe froman
reply to post by Aleister

 

That reminds me of when all the tv stations were switching over to HD. I talked to a couple of tech guys who were from out of town working on it for our local stations they told me that the reasons we were given for making the switch over (besides picture quality) were not true and they didn't know the "real" reason.

it was due to an FCC mandate, that certain frequencies be freed up.....i'm not entirely sure WHY they wanted those frequencies cleared, but that was what it was all about. all i know is it meant a s**tload of overtime for me and my crew....i didn't mind the extra money, mind you...but the workload was INSANE...

strongfp
I don't even have cable or satellite for my T.V it's completely unplugged from anything like that, it's purely for movies, and gaming.
The odd time I will plug the HDMI from my computer to the T.V for maybe sporting events or something.
More and more interconnected technology is surfacing, and it's getting harder for people to fight the battle against it. It's not clear as day as say wire tapping or phone tapping is (which is why it's most likely illegal). I generally stay away from Google or apple products for a reason such as that. BlackBerry for my mobile life, and build my own PC for my at home life. And hesitant on getting a PS4.

I heard a rumor that Microsoft can spy on people through the Xbox one, pretty creepy.

pretty much the same here...except i have EVERYTHING running through my tv (computer, game consoles)....i do have an android phone, but i'm somewhat cautious with it, lol..

i build my own computers...i do have a PS4[won it in a contest], and i can attest to it being absolutely AWESOME...i was somewhat wary of the Xbone, but since they removed the always-on internet connection, and the "you must have kinect" requirement, i'm not really worried about spying....i'm still not sure i'd buy one if i had the money though, because there's nothing on it that's worth dropping the purchase price of the system...forza looks amazing, but forza alone isn't worth it....halo is ruined, bioware ruined mass effect....there's no good exclusives, so it's not worth it....

PS4 on the other hand....better graphics, better exclusives, better performance on NON-EXCLUSIVE titles....it's a superior system, in my opinion....and once you turn off the social networking crap, it's even nicer..

Woodcarver
reply to post by Olivine

 

That is brazen. Did you know they are re-doing 1984?

Holy Crap Batman!
Does VanHalen know about this?