Race Is On To 'Fingerprint' Phones, PC's (AND Set-Top Boxes)

I originally put this in the General Conspiracies section, but it quickly became buried before anyone got a chance to see it. So I'm reframing it under this heading because it still applies.

A new way to track and identify not only PC's. But your phone and TV set-top box too. But I'm going to let the article speak for itself.

IRVINE, Calif.—David Norris wants to collect the digital equivalent of fingerprints from every computer, cellphone and TV set-top box in the world.

Advertisers no longer want to just buy ads. They want to buy access to specific people. So, Mr. Norris is building a "credit bureau for devices" in which every computer or cellphone will have a "reputation" based on its user's online behavior, shopping habits and demographics. He plans to sell this information to advertisers willing to pay top dollar for granular data about people's interests and activities.

It might seem that one computer is pretty much like any other. Far from it: Each has a different clock setting, different fonts, different software and many other characteristics that make it unique. Every time a typical computer goes online, it broadcasts hundreds of such details as a calling card to other computers it communicates with. Tracking companies can use this data to uniquely identify computers, cellphones and other devices, and then build profiles of the people who use them.

Tracking companies are now embracing fingerprinting partly because it is much tougher to block than other common tools used to monitor people online, such as browser "cookies," tiny text files on a computer that can be deleted.

BlueCava says the information it collects about devices can't be traced back to individuals and that it will offer people a way to opt out of being tracked. Still, Mr. Norris says it's tough to figure out how to alert people their devices are being fingerprinted. "We don't have all the answers, but we're just going to try to be really clear" about how the data is used, he says.

The full article can be read at the following link: Race Is On To 'Fingerprint' Phones, PC's

Although the idea of using an individuals preferences, personality traits, habits, and so on to profile them isn't exactly new. Because law enforcement have used these for years. How it's being used here is a novel approach to the replacement of the browser cookie, and it goes furtrher in it's capabilities to include other "devices". Potentially including more than just pc's, phones, and cable or satellite boxes.

Is this a brainchild of the alphabet agencies under the guise of private innovation?
Or is this private innovation that the alphabet agencies may take quite an interest in?
Other ideas, comments?

I am trying to decide if this is something I need to defeat. I already only allow "session cookies" which are automatically deleted when I close my browser. I already surf only in public places, usually different places every day. So, now what? I highly value my privacy, so what is the best protection against this?

I am surprised it has taken them this long to get the ball rolling.

Here is some interesting information for anyone interested in what is developing.

What is Personalized Pricing??

An analytical framework is developed to investigate the competitive implications of Personalized Pricing (PP), whereby firms charge different prices to different consumers, based on their willingness to pay. Personalized pricing is embedded in a model of vertical product differentiation, and show how it affects firms' choices over quality. The authors show that firms' optimal pricing strategies with PP may be non-monotonic in consumer valuations.

Basically they want to create a system where your personal income and spending habits are saved in databases, and then a computer program determines what price you will pay.

For example in the grocery stores, there will be electronic tags for each item in the near future. These electronic tags will use RFID technology to know when someone approaches. Then by checking the database, they will determine a specific price just for you!

So that means you could watch Bob get a loaf of bread for 99cents, and then you walk up and it now says 3.99$ for a loaf of bread. Simply because you are more wealthy or have a better job, and are willing to pay higher prices. This makes being rich pointless, as you will be hit for the same % of your income as any poor guy would.

Also this is essentially an invasion of privacy, and utilizing price fixing techniques to increase profit. But rather than price fixing, this is more like Price differentiation.

First it will be set up through your phone or other devices. But in the near future, the RFID chips will become the mainstream model for all corporations.

Please research RFID and Personalized Pricing.

If you guys cannot find anything about it, I am willing to invest a few hours to dig up some good information for you. Also, I have posted extensively on this subject in the past, and many of the various facets within it.

So I will also look up prior threads and stuff if anyone is interested. This is a very important topic and I highly suggest people to spread the information and warn others about these developments. Brave New World? More like Frightening New World!

Oh yeah, and many people will initially try to have Bob the poor guy, buy their groceries and stuff like that for them, so they can pay the lower prices.

However this will prove impossible or extremely difficult for many reasons.

#1) Nearly all transactions will be done electronically. So sending credits to Bob's account will arouse suspicion, and you will be forced to LAUNDER that money in some way.

#2) Nearly all products will have RFID chips within them. This will allow them to trace where the items were taken, down to your address. This will show them who is helping who fool the system.

There will be laws passed against attempting to trick this system, and the penalties will probably be extremely stiff in order to form a deterrent against anyone considering it.

RFID chips are ALREADY in most products found at places like Wal-Mart, simply to "help inventory organization and improve the efficiency of shipping".

Another interesting point, is that they plan on monitoring these RFID chips AFTER you go home with your products. For many reasons.

1) They want to compile a database of your spending habits.
2) They want to know how soon you open your products at your household.
3) They want to employ "Sniffers" who drive down streets in unmarked Vans at night, and scan everyone's trash cans, this allows them to see what you are throwing away.

This could be used all kinds of nefarious ways.
They could say "you aren't eating healthy, pay this Fine $$$" or face other punishments.
They could say "you aren't recycling correctly, pay this Fine $$$" or face other punishments.

It goes on and on. The potentials of this new wave of technology are extremely disturbing and frightening. Privacy is a thing of the past it no longer exists.

The ultimate purpose of this technology is to create a control grid, that will keep us "in line" and always fearing for our own safety. You won't be able to throw something away without freaking out if you may get ticketed or not.

I just hope enough people freak out hard core about this, and stop it while we have a chance. Because once it goes mainstream, we have no way out. Either take the mark and submit or else. *I am not sure what "else" is exactly, but I know it won't be pretty.*

No, just simply NO effing way. I'm not about to be put in some database to be targeted by ads. I'm not about to be followed based on each purchase I do. (Although that's already happening, but not as bad as what they suggest.)

If this happens, guess what? I'll screw technology. I'm a huge nerd, but this is just starting to get too much even for my nerdy ways.

But on the plus side, there'll always be people looking to bypass it and make the items usable without having to insert your print... I.e. jailbreaking. We did it to the iPhone, and we'll do it to these security measures too.

reply to post by Frontkjemper

Can you point me to a good reference where I can learn jailbreaking?

I just wonder why people don't just produce their own goods needed to live, locally? The only thing I can come up with is that they are too busy earning the money to buy their goods from another country.

What is wrong with self sustainability?

We might need a bit of money for a few goods that wear out.

It seems the old ways of living carried us for thousands of years, but in the last 100 years or so, we now need all this stuff to live.

reply to post by sonofliberty1776

This is going to be a little harder to block and/or get rid of than session cookies. Because they're looking at personal settings and preferences on your computer. Your wallpaper, how many and what kind of icons are on your desktop, programs installed, etc. And just as some sites require cookies to use the site. I'm sure they'll find some way to require you to allow them to record the way you have your desktop laid out for example, and then attach that to your ip address. Privacy is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

reply to post by muzzleflash

A very good addition to the article. Thanks for posting all of this. Star.

reply to post by Klassified
If they try to track by ip address, then shouldn't I already be ok? I post from about 5 or 6 different internet cafes each week. I do use my laptop, so if it as unique as a finger print that may be a problem. What if I set multiple user accounts on my laptop with different settings per account and vary the accounts randomly with the various cafes?

reply to post by sonofliberty1776

Each Network Interface Card has what is called a MAC Address. This address is like a fingerprint, and unique. So your MAC address is the same no matter where you go. Unless of course, you change it. There are programs that allow you to do this. But you would be changing it frequently. Some (not many) ISP's even use your MAC to identify you on their network, and allow access based on it. Wireless routers can also be setup like this.
There are also programs that let you change overall preferences and settings with one click by setting up different profiles to use. Another thought might be to use proxy servers. It's a never ending battle.

reply to post by Klassified
Thanks for the information. How would I go about changing the MAC address? I have been considering proxy servers, but the jury is still out. I feel I am just shifting the problem in that I would have to trust the people running the proxy service to not be agents of TPTB. Am I just being paranoid?

reply to post by sonofliberty1776

I did a search on google for "change mac address", and came up with a lot of hits. So You won't have any problems with that. As to proxy servers. Well, I don't call that paranoia, I call that justifiable suspicion.
I would say it won't be long till anonymity on the internet will be but a memory. I guess in some ways it already is.

reply to post by Klassified

I googled too. So I will start working on that soon. You are probably right though. Soon you will probably have to log in through your rfid chip, the one implanted your right hand or forehead.

There is already a thread for the discussion of this topic, Race is on to 'fingerprint' phones, PC, TVs etc..., please continue the discussion on that thread.

Thread closed.