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ISPs Using "Deep Packet Inspection" On 100,000 Users

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the something-to-think-about dept.

dstates writes "The Washington Post is reporting that some Internet Service Providers (ISP) have been using deep-packet inspection to spy on the communications of more than 100,000 US customers. Deep packet inspection allows the ISP to read the content of communications including every Web page visited, every e-mail sent and every search entered, in short every click and keystroke that comes down the line. The companies involved assert that customers' privacy is protected because no personally identifying details are released, but they make money from advertisers who use the information to target their online pitches. Deep packet inspection is a significant expansion over tools like cookies in the ability to track a user. Critics liken it to a phone company listening in on conversations."

2 of 309 comments (clear)

  1. Up to 2 years imprisonment by gweihir · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If you do this in the EU. Packet pauyloads are off-limits without court order. You may not even store them.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  2. Re:Btw. is your ISP Knology? by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Interesting

    1. Find his adress 2. Intercept his snailmail (which later is returned). 3. Scan it and post it to our small group of Slashdotters. 4. Ask him if he thinks that this is a violation of his privacy? 5. ?? 6. Profit!

    7. Go directly to Federal-pound-me-in-the-ass-prison for postal fraud. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

    Seriously, if the USPS, UPS or Fedex started doing this can you imagine the outrage? Yet somehow it's ok to do it with electronic communications? WTF?

    --
    I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
    We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.