Directory  News Off The Wall |
| Charter Cable To Replace Ads For Customers |
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 Reports are running rampant across the web today regarding Charter Communications , one of the nations largest cable broadband companies, and a new tactic they're deploying to make money from your internet usage. In some markets customers are recieving a letter in the mail stating that they will be part of a new service, where Charter replaces advertising in web pages with advertising deemed "more relevant". An excerpt..."I'm writing to inform you of an enhancement coming soon to your web browsing experience... While continuing to deliver the same fast and reliable internet service you've always received, innovative new technology enables Charter to provide you with an enhanced online experience that is more customized to your interests and activities. As a result, the advertising that you typically see online will better reflect the interests you express thorugh your web-surfing activities. You will not see more ads - just ads that are more relevant to you." They do offer an opt-out process , but the opt-out process requires you to input personal information in a non encrypted http session and stupidly relies on cookies which are frequently cleaned on peoples pc's obviating the necessity of redoing this dodgy and dangerously insecure process. Over and over and over again. This is wrong on so many levels I cannot figure out where to start. The privacy issues are as obvious as the above statement. As a publisher who relies on advertising to survive, it potentially makes our advertising useless. Advertising is what drives the net economy, and this tactic sets a dangerous precedent ethically and legally. This tactic also skims dangerously close to rights infrigement, because this in essence is modifying website content without permission. For those individuals who use blocklists to avoid advertising altogether, it makes that a meaningless endeavor as well. This is yet another clear example of ideas gone wrong, and avarice taken too far. I don't think the Electronic Frontier Foundation will have much of a fight here though. Every mainstream news and information portal in the world, most of which make the bulk of their revenue from advertising, will be lining up around the block to sue Charter Communications over this stupidity. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           
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