Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Comcast Sued Over Internet Data Gathering

Posted by timothy on from the money-for-lawyers dept.

saikou writes: "Slashdot already had an article about Comcast using transparent cache systems to track their cable modem users' browsing habits (purely for improvment of their networks, of course) and now here's the follow-up. Newsbyte posted yesterday a story about the lawsuit, demanding $100 per day of tracking for each customer. I guess even if it will work out, customers might get oh, say, $10. With rest being a fee for the lawyer(s) :)" Update: 05/25 12:37 GMT by T : burgburgburg points to a New York Times article about the case, and reminds you of two previous mentions of the controversial user-tracking effort (one, two).

1 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Comcast did a bad bad thing.... by flatlineloc · · Score: 4, Informative

    IANAL, but heres the links to what I believe to be the relevant laws comcast may have violated (mainly for being a cable company) Cable TV Privacy Act of 1994Which in short provides provisions that limit:

    (A) the nature of personally identifiable information collected or to be collected with respect to the subscriber and the nature of the use of such information;
    (B) the nature, frequency, and purpose of any disclosure which may be made of such information, including an identification of the types of persons to whom the disclosure may be made;
    (C) the period during which such information will be maintained by the cable operator;
    (D) the times and place at which the subscriber may have access to such information in accordance with subsection (d) of this section; and
    (E) the limitations provided by this section with respect to the collection and disclosure of information by a cable operator and the right of the subscriber under subsections (f) and (h) of this section to enforce such limitations.

     As well if I'm not incorrect here,the ECPA
    More fun privacy law here, Privacy Act of 1974

    And of course if they customer has a kid under 13 who they gathered data on there was another law I just couldn't quite manage to find in regards to making this pretty illegal. And you can't make your customers opt out of federal law last I checked.

    Anyway, it hasn't been my experience that lawyers take cases they have no chance of winning where the payout is based on them winning.