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Verizon To Pay $1.35 Million Fine To Settle US Privacy Probe (reuters.com)
chasm22 writes: Verizon Communications Inc agreed to pay a $1.35 million fine after the Federal Communications Commission said on Monday it found the company's wireless unit violated the privacy of its users. Verizon Wireless agreed to get consumer consent before sending data about "supercookies" from its more than 100 million users, under a settlement. The largest U.S. mobile company inserted unique tracking codes in its users traffic for advertising purposes. Supercookies are unique, non-removable identifiers inserted into web traffic to identify customers in order to deliver targeted ads from Verizon and others. The FCC said Verizon Wireless failed to disclose the practice from late 2012 until 2014, violating a 2010 FCC regulation on internet transparency. The FCC also said the supercookies overrode consumers privacy practices they had set on web browsers, which led some advocates to call it a "zombie cookie." Under the agreement, consumers must opt in to allow their information to be shared outside Verizon Wireless, and have the right to "opt out" of sharing information with Verizon.
I've had Verizon forever. Hope to get some money from this.
So then just a cost of doing business? Glad to know the FTC has some real teeth there.
When do I get my $1.35 from the class action suit?
Select from tblFriends where interesting >= 4;
$1.35 million dollars is chump change to verizon - should be $135 million so they notice it.
I, Anonymous Coward, have received ten commandments from God during my time on Mount Goatse. Obey these commandments and you shall have favor with the Lord.
1. Microsoft is your God. Thou shalt not worship any other Gods. Windows is the literal word of God, perfect and true.
2. Thou shalt keep the first post holy. Thou shalt not post on-topic comments that defile the sacred first post.
3. Thou shalt not dishonor the names of Microsoft, Windows, Bill Gates, and Steve Ballmer. They are holy and of God.
4. If you must run Linux, thou shalt only use a distro with Systemd. Any distro that does not use SystemD is an abomination in my eyes and of the evil one.
5. Thou shalt follow the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
6. Thou shalt not install Linux on any drive that contains Windows.
7. Thou shalt pay your $1399 licensing fee to SCO for all of thine Linux systems.
8. Thou shalt not block ads.
9. Thou shalt not turn away and hide from your God. Thou shalt share all telemetry data with Microsoft.
10. Thou shalt not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any computer system or share private information with anyone for whom it is not intended.
$1.35 million is such a tiny "penalty" that it really gets me steamed. This is a company that was actively modifying user's request to suit their interests, with no opt out and no ability for the user to even know it was happening. And when I contacted their support over it, the actively and vehemently denied doin it even as I watched it happening in the packet capture between my phone and web server, even contacted an attorney over it, but he wouldn't take the case due to an inability to assign a dollar value to the "damage". Yes, you could avoid it by using HTTPS/TLS, but given the sloppy coding of many or most apps, and near zero visibility of the workings of those apps, how could you be sure you were avoiding it (and yes, I have to use apps occasionally for my side work that have no corollary web interface). This "fine" would only amount to fractions of a penny per user for years of what are essentially MITM attacks.
"Pocket change" to Verizon.
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
(laughter from the assembled politicians and businessmen)
Is that all? Ha ha ha!
a $1.35 million fine [...] data about "supercookies" from its more than 100 million users
1 cent per customer, that will show them.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
US Government to pay 199 Trillion dollar fine for violating the privacy of it's citizens as well as those of other countries.
Now that would be an interesting headline.
Under the agreement, consumers must opt in to allow their information to be shared outside Verizon Wireless
And since there is no logical reason to ever opt-in to this, I wonder what shady process the opt-in will take. Probably a link that pops up on your phone at some point, saying "By using your mobile data plan you agree to the Verizon web browsing policy..." and everyone will click "yes." The one person who clicks the "read agreement" link, which will be me, will get bored by page 5 out of 453 pages. You bet it doesn't say "By clicking yes, you agree to allow Verizon to provide information to advertisers at no benefit to you." with a default of "No."
Verizon Wireless agreed to get consumer consent before sending data about "supercookies" from its more than 100 million users, under a settlement.
Translation: "Continuing use of this service gives your consent to collect and share this information. If you do not consent, please call [number] for our no-hassle cancellation of your service."
-- I have monkeys in my pants.
Don't expect to get anything. Verizon is basically being fined about one cent or less per user for the privacy violation. And it is pretty clear that the FCC just wants their cut of the money that Verizon made from violating user privacy and that they will not make any effort to give you your penny. And, in case you haven't figured it out yet, a penny or less per user fine is not going to discourage this practice in the future.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/sep/11/minnesota-woman-songs-illegally-downloaded
$220,000 for copying 24 songs
or
In 2009, a jury ordered Tenenbaum – who graduated from Boston University with a doctorate in statistical physics in May – to pay $675,000 in damages fro copying 30 songs.
Maybe its about time that corporations started getting fines of 10-20 times their income
As a person who pays a bunch of taxes and did not support the government doing such things, you're wanting me to pay for it again? First, I had to pay the money that let them do it. Then, I had to pay for the loss of reputation and business associated with it - which is a bit abstract. Now, you want me to pay for the cleanup. All while I've adamantly expressed disdain for the practice...
*sighs* I guess it's a good thing if you don't earn/have enough to pay much in taxes. So, there's that. I suppose you'll be wanting me to pay the government so that the government can pay the victims.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
We're just consumer - a sea of small numbers to these people.
It also shows how the free markets are anything but. In the Econ 101 textbooks, the markets should take care of this. But as we see, nothing will really change. Telcos, ISPs, cable companies, airlines, banks, etc ... will continues their abuse of us because they know that we'll shut up and take it. We may move to another company - whatever little choice we may have - and get abused by them also.
And most people are oblivious or just take it. Everyone complains about their cable service, but how many really cut the cord? How many times have you heard, "I can't do without my sports!"
Me? I am buying less and less because of the quality and non-sense of customer care these days. American companies offer third world service and quality.
Way to stick it to them, FCC! THAT's how you show these companies who's the boss! Gooooooooo Guv!!!!!
AKA "What's the least fine we can 'demand' you pay that would look like we did something? We wouldn't want it to be any hindrance to your business, share prices, bonuses, etc. of course, or more than you already paid your attorneys to fight this, but it shouldn't be TOO much less than a penny per customer or people might catch on."
Who else thinks "Privacy Probe" is an oxymoron?
This is:
This is an awesome result for Verizon because it immunizes them against future class action suits for change that they might find under couch cushions.
$1.35M isn't even a rounding error to Verizon.
Scruting the inscrutable for over 50 years.
Verizon to pay 1.35 cents fine....
I'm a PagePlus customer (they use Verizon's net). When this issue was publicized a few years back, I checked my data connection and found these supercookies too. I believe Verizon had an opt out system for a while, but that didn't seem to work with MVNOs.
Don't worry, the gov would pay the fine to itself.
They don't actually have their own money. In order to pay it, they'll have to use our money to do so. That counts them printing more or loaning more. We have to make up for what is printed.
Hell, it'd be cheaper just to bomb the hell out the "other countries" you mentioned and just take their shit.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."