*Sigh*
That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works
It's clear that no one actually seems to understand what is going on. You won't be able to call up an ISP and ask for a specific person's web browsing
history. You won't be able to call or contact ANY company and do that either.
What the ISPs will be selling is aggregate data of users in specific areas. If you wanted to "buy congress's browsing history" all you'd get are
"search trends for Washington DC" or something like that. Maybe a list of the top 10 websites or something. You wouldn't be able to find out who
visits what sites.
The kind of data that ISPs want to sell is trends on specific geographical locations. What subscribers in certain neighborhoods are doing online. Are
people in the rich neighborhood using more PS4's or Xbox Ones? It helps advertisers better target and know which places to target.
It was always this way until 2016. What just happened was merely a repeal of some new legislation. So, we're back to where we always were.
Good lord, use HTTPS Everywhere (browser plugin) that forces all your communication to/from websites to be encrypted at 128-bit. While not amazingly
strong, it makes it time consuming to figure out what you're doing on various sites. Anyway, try sniffing packet data on a network sometime, HTTPS
traffic is useless as it's all garbled.
It doesn't keep your ISP from knowing what websites you visited, but it does keep them from knowing what you were doing on those websites. I can tell
if you go on Amazon by watching your packet data, but I won't be able to tell what you're looking at or buying on Amazon if you're using the HTTPS
protocol. As I said, it's garbled packet data.
Also, using a different DNS server vs. the one your ISP wants to you use can help a little bit too. Not much, but its an easy change and can actually
speed up your internet browsing. Use a PiHole (Raspberry Pi) as a DNS server with a blacklist for advertising domains. That'll also help things a
bit.
Anyway, that's not my point -- my point is, this is nothing but a stupid publicity stunt by people who don't understand how this works.
Your actual day-to-day browsing information (what sites and what you did on those sites) IS NOT going to be sold by your ISP. Nothing tying your
browsing history to you, personally, will be for sale.
That is why this is the dumbest thing ever. It's aggregate data, user statistic data. And while not awesome or ideal, it's not this doom-porn I seem
to see everyone spouting. It was already this way until just recently anyway.
What
IS actually concerning is that this another puzzle piece for advertisers. It will help build a profile on you. Even if the ISP can't give
specific information about you, it can be added into the pot to help identify you.
Example time!
Facebook and other apps ask for your phone number, ever notice that? Grocery stores keep track of your shopping habbits with "club cards". Think about
all the tiny bits of information you leave here and there at various businesses. All that information is sold/traded and compilled. It all gets added
together along with your addresses, work address/phone ... your email, social media accounts ect.
When enough tiny bits of info that are meaningless on their own are combined, it creates a damn impressive profile on you.
There is a reason why Cambridge Analytica (who Trump's people hired and who were behind the pro-Brexit thing) can claim with confidence
on their
own website that they have "4,000 to 5,000 data points on 220 million Americans".
220 MILLION Americans? That's literally the entire adult population of the USA. And 4-5 THOUSAND data points? Those are the little tiny insignificant
pieces I was talking about. They can use those to build a profile on you and what you will probably like and want to see/hear/buy. They can then
customize the things you hear/see online. They can influence what the very fabric of reality you experience is like.
Let that sink in.
People now can know so much about you from tiny bits of information found here and there, collected and pasted together...enough information to
influence how you shop and even view the world.
Anyway, as I said -- this isn't new, but people are now just finding out about it.
What out to worry the **** out of you more are the "audio beacons" hidden in TV/radio advertisements that apps on your smart phone can pick up on.
Then, the app can report that you were near/heard certain TV/radio ads so many times per day. These audio beacons are in frequencies we can't hear but
help advertisers know who is hearing their advertisements. Ever wonder why some Android apps ask for speaker permission? Speakers are microphones if
inverted.
TLDR: Stupid publicity stunt, and apparently 99% of the population is running around without any idea of the real threats, thinking this is something
that it isn't.
edit on 30-3-2017 by Kettu because: (no reason given)
edit on 30-3-2017 by Kettu because: (no reason
given)