Charter tracks user activity even if users opt out

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk () gsp org>
> Date: May 20, 2008 9:24:16 PM EDT
> To: David Farber <dave () farber net>, Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org 
> >, Fergie <fergdawg () netzero net>
> Subject: Charter tracks user activity even if users opt out

> Via The Consumerist:
>
>        UPDATE: Charter Will Track Your Internet Activity Regardless  
> Of Whether You Opt Out
>        
> http://consumerist.com/tag/privacy/?i=5009976&t=update-charter-will-track-your-internet-activity-regardless-of-whether-you-opt-out
>
> Excerpt:
>
>        When a customer clicks a link, advertisement, or visits a
>        page, Charter will capture the browsing data and send it to
>        the third-party advertising provider.  If Charter wanted to
>        offer a functional opt-out, it would be at this deep-packet
>        inspection level.  The do not offer a way out of that service,
>        however.  The only thing they offer is the cookie-based  
> solution
>        you've previously covered, which *merely tells the third-party
>        organization not to match the machine with the DPI-harvested  
> data
>        or deliver the advertising*.  Customer browsing is still being
>        captured and is still being turned over regardless of anyone's
>        individual opt-out status, but the third party is just blocked
>        from doing anything with it by the cookie.
>
>        I might also point out that by doing this *Charter is  
> explicitly
>        requesting that their customers choose not to follow safe
>        browsing best practices.* [...]
>
> I'm not sure "the third party is just blocked from doing anything with
> it by the cookie" is entirely accurate, however; I think "the third
> party is supposed to honor the cookie and not supposed to use the data
> and not supposed to match the data against the machine" may be more  
> likely.
>
> ---Rsk



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