Comcast Using JavaScript Injection To Serve Ads On Public Wi-Fi Hotspots

An anonymous reader writes: For some time now, Comcast has setting up public Wi-Fi hotspots, some of which are run on the routers of paying subscribers. The public hotspots are free, but not without cost: Comcast uses JavaScript to inject self-promotional ads into the pages served to users. "Security implications of the use of JavaScript can be debated endlessly, but it is capable of performing all manner of malicious actions, including controlling authentication cookies and redirecting where user data is submitted. ... Even if Comcast doesn't have any malicious intent, and even if hackers don't access the JavaScript, the interaction of the JavaScript with websites could "create" security vulnerabilities in websites, [EFF technologist Seth Schoen] said. "Their code, or the interaction of code with other things, could potentially create new security vulnerabilities in sites that didn't have them," Schoen said."

Comments

Copyright violation?

[crow]

Does this violate the copyright of the sites the user is visiting? By modifying the content stream, they're creating a derivative work without authorization.

On the other hand, user-controlled plugins and ad blockers do that all the time, so I wouldn't be too quick to make that argument in court.

Re:Copyright violation?

[Em Adespoton]

And doing so for a commercial purpose. Which, in theory, could make it criminal.

If I recall correctly, Comcast is currently arguing just this in court -- but for third parties stripping ads from their cable streams.

I think they're going to try really hard to differentiate between the goose and the gander here.