Vodafone plans to log what websites customers visit

Source: ComputerWorld

Telco said customers want to be able to track how they are using their mobile data allowance

Yeah...right...so anyway, I searched to see if this had posted yet and it appears no-one has, however I did discover a thread called "Vodafone exposes secret worldwide network of government wiretaps".

This article becomes a little more interesting when (not that it already wasn't) you combine that previous thread with it.

Vodafone has revealed it is working a project that will record for up to 90 days what online services customers access. Customers would be able to access the information to understand how they had used their mobile data quota.

So here it is, they are working on a project to record what online services a customer has used over the previous 90 day period. This tech is also apparently not already there as Matthew Lobb said.

Matthew Lobb, ‎general manager industry strategy and public policy, revealed the project at a Senate inquiry into the possible revision of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979.

...

Currently, the ability for a telco to link an IP address to an individual customer is not fully developed, Lobb told the inquiry. That's because internal and public IP addresses are assigned dynamically for each Internet session on a mobile device using the telco's network.

However, Vodafone is examining a system that will retain that IP data and link it to a customer.

"Now at this stage, that IP identifier system within telcos is in its infancy," Lobb said. "It's not been a traditional capability that has been a part of the way we store data, but it is something that is evolving."

During the Senate inquiry, Greens Senator Scott Ludlam asked if this is really being driven by their customer base.

"Just to confirm — you're telling us that the transition that Vodafone has embarked on is to be able to keep effectively session logs of what people do while they're online is being driven by your customer base?"

Good question Scott!

So????

"We think that majority of customers will appreciate knowing how they use their data and what they use their data for," Lobb said.

Okay, so the bold was added by me but this is now starting to stink of...of...of...oh I give up!

Just seems suss to me, however listing the domains you've visited on your bill may just be no different to listing the numbers you've called or messaged.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

Yep we'll put a GPS recording system in your car so you know where you drove in the past 90 days. Do they really think we're that retarded? or maybe I'm missing something.

Some sites already log pages visited, they claim for ad reasons. But this seems for obviously a more invasive reason. After all communications, when you sign a contract or use the product(phones, net service, even MMO gaming) add into the fine print that if asked by law officials they will turn over your information. This will just make it easier to see, if a suspect, as to if your searches and websites visited add to the suspicion.

This is long possible. Ip numbers, however dynamic are usually the same and dealt to devices registered with an IMEI and a NIC that has a MAC.
In the database Vodafone uses all three are registered as soon as the device comes online (in their 3g or 4g network).
But then again. It would be easy to avoid this by not using 3g or 4g.
(Like me: I don't even have a provider)
....add: and it's not a big deal to register what data trafic is brought by what Ip-adress over ones network.
So if you do use your own big provider they know what you do at all time and if they want it is in realtime.

*I used to work in the red room*

And again:
Back in 2004 we used the packet-sniff methode to capture iptelephony based conversations.

Who's to say providers like Vodafone do not sniff every packet you send over their network?

In 2000 I scripted a splash page for my website visitors, logging their Ip-adresses and more.

It's not very hard.

In conclusion: please don't be naive. They allready do and probably for a couple of years.


Add:
Privacy is off no concern to a provider. It's data collection. And: data collection to the absurd.

Did you know:
When you pick up the horn of your land-based telephone ...that is being registered?
Well ...you do know.
...and that's how meticulous you are being logged.

Why the heck does anyone need that service? Complete bs lie! Every person with a phone can check their history in their personal browser. We don't need to give the company our data logs to "hold on to for 90 days" that's a bold faced lie by this company.

a reply to: NiZZiM

In our country all providers are to keep all userdata for 180 days...it's the law.

Everything you do is logged.

Knowing that: all these story's these providers tell us about privacy are total bs.
There is no privacy when it comes to communication and there hasn't been any since the day Hitler did us the joy of letting us believe he killed himself and the socalled cold war started.

This is not new, it's actually kind of strange they haven't done it before in the past.

As 'Daalder' also mentioned, 180days is normal in some contries.