I've been in this business for a little while, and I can say that very few ISP's could resist the temtation to "sanitize" the data, (remove references to your name an ip address etc.) and sell it to a direct marketing agency. This would help the recoup the cost of collecting it in the first place. Then the good folks at the direct marketing agencies reassociate you with your browsing habits data using all the other info lying around about you (most of it obtained directly from stats Can) and voila(!) you start getting some vary targeted phone and email correspondence from people who want to sell you things. Naturally this voilates your privacy but the onus will be on you to prove that it's happened. Just you try...
As for email... I heartily recommend using something like PGP. At least they'll have to earn their money to break into it. wcn Jeffrey Clement wrote: >On Wed, Aug 28, 2002 at 12:52:34AM -0600, Michael Berenbaum wrote: > > >>I find the most offensive part the extensive logging of sites visited. >>Why should my upstream provider be keeping track of which websites I've >>visited for the past 6 months? To combat terrorism? that's just the >>excuse we've now become accustomed to. I feel invaded just thinking about >>it. >> >> > >Out of curiousity what kind of web pages does a terrorist visit that would be used as >evidence against them? Is there some terrorist.com website that all terrorist check >in on, sort of a equivalent to Slashdot. Or maybe guns&rockets.com for all your >anonymous weapons needs? This all just seems really stupid. > > I could see email being useful but sites visited sounds like way to much information >on something that doesn't really matter anyways. Seems like it's bound to get abused >somehow. > >jeff > > > >>Now I do agree with Cameron.... I imagine the government has a way to peek >>inside the networks right now if they feel it's necessary.... but this >>would probably give them a little more leeway, and legitimize the demise >>of online privacy in Canada. Scary Stuff. >>Michael. >> >> >>-------Original Message------- >> >>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Date: August 28, 2002 12:26:20 AM >>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Subject: RE: (clug-talk) Will Canada's ISPs become spies? >> >>That is disturbing in so many ways...but I have often thought that these >>things are annouced as being a possibility after they have already been >>implemented. >> >>Case in point: A few years ago there was a big annoucement tht the Hells >>Angels would be locating in Calgary. If people only knew that they were in >>Calgary at least five years before hand. I of course have no concrete >>proof, but I have the information on good authority and would believe it >>to >>be true. The same goes for the article here and that it islikely in action >>already. Anyone rememeber that "Big Brother" government databse that was >>in >>the news a year or so ago? >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Ian Bruseker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >>Sent: August 28, 2002 12:10 AM >>To: CLUG talk >>Subject: (clug-talk) Will Canada's ISPs become spies? >> >> >>Yipes, I say, yipes. >> >>http://news.com.com/2100-1023-955595.html >> >>Ian >> >>. >> >> >> > > >
