Has anyone here been offered money for data on clients web browsing or
other online activity? Have you ever sought and found a company that
would buy it? Is there a known case of an ISP doing this? I'm betting
all 3 are "no".
A couple of friends are going nuts on Facebook about the reversal of a
law that would prohibit ISP's from selling or sharing various types of
data. The law was signed under the previous administration, but never
took effect. Until now I'd not even heard of it.
I singled out the most vehement one and told him to calm down. I told
him of all the types of data we'd be prohibited from sharing (Medical,
financial, social security etc) we don't actually have most of it to
begin with. Of all the cited things we're allegedly "allowed" to
share/sell, the only thing I conceivably could produce would be a web
browsing history. Ok, so if I wanted to sell that, who's buying? I
argue that you should be more worried about Google and Facebook....who
really do have access to a crapload of your data. And what is so secret
in your browser history anyway?
One person brought up a case of a Verizon Wireless "Super Cookie"
(X-UIDH header inserted into HTTP requests). A case where incidentally
the FCC told them people needed an opt-out option and fined them $1.3mil
for not having it.......without any additional rules. And the so-called
super cookie only allowed web services to uniquely identify the device
and key their own data around it....Verizon wasn't "sharing" anything.
Ultimately I don't care whether there's such a rule or not. It seems
irrelevant. It's like a rule telling me not to share my space shuttle
with anyone. I'm like, "Sure, no problem."
If there's a reason I should be excited/alarmed, someone please educate
me.
-Adam
- [AFMUG] Semi OT: Selling web browsing history Adam Moffett
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