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ISP Embarq Monitors User Traffic

Posted by Soulskill on from the you-can-trust-us dept.

Deli Korkmaz writes "The Washington Post reports that Sprint-Nextel spin-off Embarq, currently the US's fourth largest DSL provider, monitored Internet activity on some 26,000 customers in Kansas using deep-packet inspection technology NebuAd in order to deliver targeted advertising to users' desktops. CNet provides coverage as well. The House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce is investigating whether any privacy laws were broken. Users were informed of this test and invited to opt out only via Embarq's online Privacy Policy; a mere 15 subscribers did so."

3 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Re:was it limited to inspection? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Disclaimer: I am an Embarq employee.

    It was used to better target the advertisements on MyEmbarq.com and on the DNS redirection pages for server not found. If there was any more past that, then the general work force was not aware of it. No modifying of pages or redirecting others' advertisements.

    This system would only work if you used Embarq's DNS servers.

  2. Tom Gerke by CauseWithoutARebel · · Score: 5, Informative

    tom.gerke@embarq.com was the contact for the CEO back in March. I assume it is still legitimate...

    --
    Weird slashbug #455
  3. Re:EXACTLY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Please be careful with the terminology.

    Opt-out means that you're in and you have to opt-out to stop your membership/subscription/whatever.

    Opt-in is what you want: it's your choice to subscribe/join/whatever, and if you don't, there is no membership/subscription/whatever.

    For example: The do-not-call list is an opt-out scheme. Unless you take action and put your name on the list, they're allowed to call you. Most newsletters are opt-in: You only receive the newsletter if you subscribe. Spam is neither opt-in nor opt-out: You get spam without doing anything. If you try to opt-out, you get more spam.