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Hotel Connectivity Provider SuperClick Tracks You

Posted by kdawson on from the dust-off-the-VPN dept.

saccade.com writes "During my last hotel stay, I thought it was a pretty strange that it took two browser re-directs before the hotel's Wi-Fi would show me the web page I browsed to. Picasa developer Michael Herf noticed the same the thing and dug a little deeper. He discovered: '...their page does some tracking of each new page you visit in your browser, outside what a normal proxy (which would have access to all your cookies and other information it shouldn't have, anyway) would do. This "adlog" hit appears to also track a "hotel ID" and some other data that identifies you more directly. Notably, I've observed these guys tracking HTTPS URLs, and of course you can't track those through a proxy.' Herf notes the Internet service provider, SuperClick, advertises that it 'allows hoteliers and conference center managers to leverage the investment they have made in their IP infrastructure to create advertising revenue, deliver targeted marketing and brand messages to guests and users on their network...'" Herf was on his honeymoon when he did this sleuthing. Now that's dedication.

12 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. I did a little "sleuthing" on my honeymoon by Gothmolly · · Score: 4, Funny

    But it involved chocolate sauce, melted wax, and soft restraints. What is this 'Herf' person thinking, signing onto his laptop while on honeymoon? Go get laid you nerd!

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
    1. Re:I did a little "sleuthing" on my honeymoon by Joebert · · Score: 3, Funny

      Cut the guy some slack, he was probably getting ready to print out some diagrams.
      You know how the net is, distractions everywhere !

      --
      Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
  2. A true nerd by MyNameIsEarl · · Score: 2, Funny

    A true nerd would consummate his marriage while surfing on the internet and maybe writing some code while he was at it.

    1. Re:A true nerd by Intron · · Score: 3, Funny

      Honey. I thought you said you were getting me pearls and rubies?

      --
      Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
    2. Re:A true nerd by Your+Pal+Dave · · Score: 5, Funny

      You call that a python?

    3. Re:A true nerd by Gzip+Christ · · Score: 4, Funny
      A true nerd would consummate his marriage while surfing on the internet and maybe writing some code while he was at it.
      I tried to do that, but there's not much else you can do when you're in the middle of a really long fsck.
  3. In Soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, You track Hotel Connectivity Provider SuperClick!

  4. Re:The wise man assumes by somersault · · Score: 1, Funny

    A true paranoic wouldn't use the Internet at all.



    Why not, if they're not doing anything illegal, or immoral?
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    which is totally what she said
  5. They do, do they ? by Joebert · · Score: 3, Funny

    Are theese guys based in Soviet Russia by any chance ?

    --
    Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
  6. pardon? by rucs_hack · · Score: 2, Funny

    On his honeymoon?

    wow, that's a relationship with a good start.

  7. Not so fast.. by Kadin2048 · · Score: 5, Funny

    What is this 'Herf' person thinking, signing onto his laptop while on honeymoon?

    Well, maybe he was logging onto Picasa to do some uploading...?

    --
    "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
  8. In soviet Russia... by Zaatxe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hotel Connectivity Provider SuperClick Tracks You!

    Oh, wait...

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    So say we all