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Verizon To Pay $1.35 Million Fine To Settle US Privacy Probe (reuters.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the inedible-desserts-that-are-anything-but-super dept.

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.

1 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. The Ten Commandments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    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.