Verizon Wireless to expose customers’ browsing to advertisers

[ranchhand]

Verizon will monitor not just mobile activities but also what customers do on wired or Wi-Fi-connected computers, then share that data with marketers.
As far as corporate notices go, they don't get much creepier than this recent alert from US telco Verizon Wireless. The company says it's "enhancing" its Relevant Mobile Advertising program, which it uses to collect data on customers' online habits so that marketers can pitch stuff at them with greater precision.

"In addition to the customer information that's currently part of the program, we will soon use an anonymous, unique identifier we create when you register on our websites," Verizon Wireless is telling customers.

"This identifier may allow an advertiser to use information they have about your visits to websites from your desktop computer to deliver marketing messages to mobile devices on our network," it says.
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That means exactly what it looks like: Verizon will monitor not just your wireless activities but also what you do on your wired or Wi-Fi-connected laptop or desktop computer – even if your computer doesn't have a Verizon connection. The company will then share that additional data with marketers. Even worse, Verizon is enrolling customers in the "enhanced" program by automatically downloading software onto their computers, which customers may not even know is happening.

If Verizon Wireless customers want to keep their computers off-limits to the company's marketing affiliates, they'd have to go to the trouble of opting out.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/verizon-wireless-to-expose-customers-...426-zqzzq.html

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[redwudz]

Looks like a good time to invest in a decent firewall program for your PC.

[racer-x]

Today information= money.

Since like other cable companies, Verizon lost revenue to the cable cutters like myself. This is just an easy way they can recover some lost revenue. It's also a reason my No-Scrript disables on average about 20 scripts on a typical site.

Yet another reason I like websurfing under Linux. Based on my limited knowledge, you can't install s/w without entering admin p/w. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here......

[deadrats]

Yet another reason I like websurfing under Linux. Based on my limited knowledge, you can't install s/w without entering admin p/w. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here......

this is true with windows also, if you set up a limited user account with the right settings the same thing will happen, you won't be able to install anything without being told that you have insufficient privileges to make the changes you're trying to make.

the real issue is that most windows users automatically use the admin account without creating a limited user account for every day use; linux users on the other hand, since linux is usually installed by either somewhat more tech savvy and/or more paranoid people, tend to install linux and either create an non-root account for every day use or they tend to install a linux distro that is pre-configured with a default non-root account.

basically it's a configuration issue, one can lock down windows just as tight as any linux distro, they just don't bother to do so.

[enim]

What is ethics? where and when money matters!

[vhelp]

this probably does explain why my internet has been so slow lately. and my adding Malwarebytes yesterday didn't help. but i wanted to use firefox (for some video downloading) and so far it seemed to have gotten rid of all those popups i was infected with--so installing it was a good idea in this case. however, that still doesn't explain completely, my slow interneting. for instance, when i'm in opera's statusbar, i can see some 30 or more scripts {i.e., s3.amazonaws.com } sending info out from my pc, though firefox seems to be suppressing this info or it is hiding this from us intensionally because it too takes about the same amount of time to finally load the web pages. i know that when i'm on this forum, i experience the most waiting time for the forum topics to finally load because these scripts have to finish gathering and sending out my personal surfing habbit. i suspect that verizon is a part of this ? after all, they are my internet DSL providers. but these scripts do go by so fast on the statusbar. i should attempt to screen-copy them to see how many of these i am actually receiving.

@ redwudz, what do can you recommend a person to install ? i am only using the built-in firewall in xp home sp2.

@ deadrats, for people with no knowledge in win xp setup like this, can you provide some clever tutorial on how to do this ?

thank you.

[vhelp]

What is ethics? where and when money matters!

you are correct. and they are still trying to sell me their better package deal, hanging their sales literature on my door about every 3 months or so. i told them that i was not going to go past DSL. but they are vigilant at trying to sell me their trio package. cable doesn't do this or hasn't in a very long time. perhaps they have slightly higher ethics than verizon.

[usually_quiet]

this probably does explain why my internet has been so slow lately. and my adding Malwarebytes yesterday didn't help. but i wanted to use firefox (for some video downloading) and so far it seemed to have gotten rid of all those popups i was infected with--so installing it was a good idea in this case. however, that still doesn't explain completely, my slow interneting. for instance, when i'm in opera's statusbar, i can see some 30 or more scripts {i.e., s3.amazonaws.com } sending info out from my pc, though firefox seems to be suppressing this info or it is hiding this from us intensionally because it too takes about the same amount of time to finally load the web pages. i know that when i'm on this forum, i experience the most waiting time for the forum topics to finally load because these scripts have to finish gathering and sending out my personal surfing habbit. i suspect that verizon is a part of this ? after all, they are my internet DSL providers. but these scripts do go by so fast on the statusbar. i should attempt to screen-copy them to see how many of these i am actually receiving.

@ redwudz, what do can you recommend a person to install ? i am only using the built-in firewall in xp home sp2.

@ deadrats, for people with no knowledge in win xp setup like this, can you provide some clever tutorial on how to do this ?

thank you.

Using Adblock Plus may shorten the amount of time it takes to load some webpages.

I have tried Comodo's free firewall, and it is a good software firewall, but forces users to install junk software, toolbars, etc. which then must be removed. I switched to ZoneAlarm's free firewall, which is also good. It also installs unwanted items, although to a somewhat lesser degree. However, you may find a third party software firewall consumes too many system resources on a netbook. In that case you are better off buying and installing a third-party router with a good hardware firewall, and continuing with your MS software firewall. You will need to switch your Verizon DSL modem to bridge mode before installing a router, because it too functions as a very basic router. It isn't hard to do, but you will need to search for instructions to use with the exact model of DSL modem Verizon issued to you.

[jagabo]

the real issue is that most windows users automatically use the admin account without creating a limited user account for every day use

Even with an admin level account modern versions of Windows usually warn you if some software is going to be installed. The real problem is that most people just blindly click on OK when they get a dialog.

[jagabo]

this probably does explain why my internet has been so slow lately.

I don't know how you can browse the internet on a low speed connection without:

1) Use a hosts file from somewhere like: http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm. That will eliminate 90 percent of ads and a lot of malware sites. Keep in mind that many ads are flash videos or animated GIFs so they can eat up significant bandwidth.

2) Use a java script blocker like NoScript. Block java script from all sites except those where you really need them. For other sites allow temporary access only when you need them.

3) Use an add blocker like AdBlock Plus to block those ads that remain (not many) after #1 and #2.

4) Disable third party cookies in your browers. In fact, disable all cookies by default, allow only those sites you really care about to use them. This won't make much difference in bandwidth but will eliminate a lot of tracking.

[redwudz]

@ redwudz, what do can you recommend a person to install ? i am only using the built-in firewall in xp home sp2.

I like the free Comodo firewall. I can't use it with W8, but it works fine with W7 and should work well with XP. http://www.comodo.com/home/internet-security/firewall.php?key5sk1=78e8c39adc627cad24ec....comodo.com%2F

It has a bit of a learning time, but it seems very efficient when you have it trained. Not that hard to set up. I have no faith at all in any of the Windows firewalls. I see them as mostly useless.