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Verizon, AT&T, Comcast Say They Will Not Sell Customer Browsing Histories (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the some-relief dept.

Comcast, Verizon, AT&T Inc said Friday they would not sell customers' individual internet browsing information, days after the U.S. Congress approved legislation reversing Obama administration era internet privacy rules. From a report on Reuters: The bill would repeal regulations adopted in October by the Federal Communications Commission under former President Barack Obama requiring internet service providers to do more to protect customers' privacy than websites like Alphabet's Google or Facebook. The easing of restrictions has sparked growing anger on social media sites. "We do not sell our broadband customers' individual web browsing history. We did not do it before the FCC's rules were adopted, and we have no plans to do so," said Gerard Lewis, Comcast's chief privacy officer. He added Comcast is revising its privacy policy to make more clear that "we do not sell our customers' individual web browsing information to third parties." Verizon does not sell personal web browsing histories and has no plans to do so in the future, said spokesman Richard Young.

2 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. Individual != Aggregate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Google doesn't sell individual user's behavior either, it sells buckets of users it calls audiences. Nobody wants to market to one person anyway.

    Saying they won't sell your specific habits doesn't mean shit, they will big data you into buckets like "movie lover", "gadget enthusiast", "jerks it to interracial porn ferociously every sunday". That will get sold and you will be marketed to based on it.

    Comcast is known to inject packets into http streams to put up their own messaging, they've done it before. Now they will sell that space / service.

  2. Article a) was retracted and b) not about browsing by raymorris · · Score: 4, Informative

    First, F you for making so that in order to tell the truth, I end up defending *Verizon*. Please be careful about stating untruths about assholes; I don't like posting stuff that makes Verizon look less bad.

    Second, the article you linked to, based on a post the EFF has retracted, does NOT mention browser history.

    Third, did I mention RERRACTED.

    According to the article you linked to, on one particular Verizon phone you can OPT IN to an app that lets them see which APPS you have installed. Nothing to do with browser history whatsoever, and it's opt-in.