RSSCharter chucks its spyware-like ad plans
By Tim Conneally | Published June 25, 2008, 11:49 AM
Perhaps in response to consumer uproar, and perhaps responding to Congress, Charter Communications has suspended plans to test ads generated by its users' Web browsing habits.
Charter Communications has reportedly shelved plans to test market NebuAd's services following some bad press late last week that exposed the company's employees as veterans of spyware company Claria Corp.
NebuAd has devised a way of collecting Internet usage data which then can generate user-targeted advertising. However, the company's patent-pending method drew the attention of privacy advocates, as it is clearly listed as a means of "monitoring and modifying" network traffic, where NebuAd packets are injected into the user's incoming data.
The patent application defines NebuAd's system as a "network device disposed in line between the computer and the network so that all data traffics are examined. The data packets exchanged between a computer and a website being visited are altered or modified in such a way that the head of the packets remains largely intact while the payloads of the packets are changed to suit the need of delivering transparently the targeted commercial information."
According to the company's privacy policy, information NebuAd would openly use includes: Web pages viewed and links clicked, search terms, the amount of time on sites, user response to ads, system settings (browser, connection speed), and ZIP code. This information would also be shared with third parties.
While users would be allowed to opt out of the surveillance, advocacy groups appealed to Congress last month, before Charter Communications could get tests under way. Members of the House Telecommunications Subcommittee then contacted Charter, calling upon the firm to halt the project due to the potential illegality of NebuAd's technology.
An e-mailed statement from the company said the pilot tests will not be moving forward due to "questions about this service" and improvements suggested by concerned customers, though a spokesperson was quoted in Online Media Daily as saying "It will happen when we're technologically ready."
Well if Charter pulled this stunt that would make them liable for everything that went in and out of their system. They would no longer be immune from prosecution for the actions of their customers as they would no longer be a common carrier. They would be common spies.
The same thing has been going on in England so I don't see how NebuAd can claim a patent.
http://www.theregister.c...06/10/eu_bt_phorm_trial/
Nor do I see how they can get a patent on criminal activity. This certainly qualifies as hacking. If not the customer that is being spied on then the web site that is being suborned. Its their web site not these hackers. They often pay for their bandwidth with ads.
I can see just how well this would go over with advertisers that had their ad replaced by a rival. Will every website have to use secure socket layers just to put up their home page? Just so they can be sure of getting paid for their ads.
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Selling to third parties hey...mhmm. OK... What prevents Charter from selling it to oh say big brother?
I bet big bro lets this one slide.
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