According to a story in the Washington Post (Some Web Firms Say They Track Behavior Without Explicit Consent, August 12, 2008) several internet service and broadband providers have admitted using very precise tracking of users’ on-line activities, including so called “deep-packet inspection” (reading your email and other info send/received over the ‘net to gather information about you) without informing the users. That data is of course used to bombard the users (including underage children) with all kinds of ads, and sold to other companies for cold cash who in turn assail the users with enlarge your penis/breasts/abs/pecs with a herbal remedy spam messages, viruses, Trojans and other niceties. Of course, no company (or a single Republican in Congress) wants any regulation other than "self-policing" (surprise, surprise…)
Kudos to the House Energy and Commerce Committee member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) for trying to do something about it.
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