ISPs Employ New Tracking, Ad Technology - NebuAd's deep packet inspection behavioral advertising
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ISPs Employ New Tracking, Ad Technology
NebuAd's deep packet inspection behavioral advertising
(old news - 03:36PM Thursday Dec 06 2007)
tags: business · privacy · CenturyTel Inc.
A new company named NebuAd provides hardware to ISPs that sits on the network, tracking user browsing habits. Using deep packet inspection, the technology tracks what sites you visit, then sends that information to NebuAd. NebuAd then serves advertisements that may be more tailored to your interests. ISPs pay nothing, and in return for the information, get checks mailed to them monthly. NebuAD says that this technology "opens new revenue streams to service providers by enabling them to monetize advertising served to their subscribers with no up-front cost and no impact to their existing networks." The Fair Eagle webpage insists the technology "is dedicated to enhancing the browsing experience of users through our innovative behavioral analysis solutions." Most users are more concerned about privacy ramifications. According to the Wall Street Journal, CenturyTel Inc., a Monroe, Louisiana phone company, is the latest to tinker with the technology. The DSL ISP says they expect to see a 5% to 10% boost in average revenue per broadband user, and should see total $2 million a quarter. Though none admit it, many major ISPs already sell your clickstream data to a profit of roughly $5 per user, per month.
Related:- Embarq, WOW Bury Snooping In Terms Of Service
- After Charter's Decision To Drop NebuAD, Will Other ISPs Follow?
- Another ISP Suspends NebuAD Trials
- AT&T 'Carefully Considering' Selling Browsing Data
- Charter Employee Data Stolen
- EFF To Sue Government For Warrantless Wiretapping
- AT&T Thanks Democrats For Telecom Immunity
- Thursday Morning Links
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Happyrat @ 6th Dec 03:41PM:
Big brother is watching you...
And billing you for his time. :p
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TK Junk Mail @ 6th Dec 03:41PM:
Adblock plus
Never see the ads even if they have created ones targeted at me.
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robertfl @ 6th Dec 03:42PM:
Just block them
Ads are blocked here since there pointless and annoying. You can install ad filtering software like ad mucher and ad blocker (which does not block the flash animated ads)
There used to be ad subtract but that's no more as intermute was purchased by a company called "Trend Micro"
-Rob
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texans20 @ 6th Dec 03:45PM:
TOR
Yet another reason to use TOR.
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rantou @ 6th Dec 03:45PM:
Privacy violations, coming to an ISP near you...
Okay, seriously though, I work for an ISP and nobody has ever come to us asking us to sell our clickstream data. I would love to have an extra $5/user/month of revenue, but the bottom line is that when it comes down to it, this is a serious violation of privacy since everything is logged -- your IP address, even if it is dynamic, is logged everywhere, so that clickstream data can tell an ISP a LOT that people probably don't want out.
Not that it matters... Money is the root of all evil (and therefore you have the gub'ment!)
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ftthz @ 6th Dec 03:54PM:
if they sell my data and target adds to me
couldn't they drop the price of my connection or pay me to view them.
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feverfive @ 6th Dec 03:58PM:
Re: if they sell my data and target adds to me
SUUUUURE....that'll happen...
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caddyroger @ 6th Dec 03:58PM:
Re: if they sell my data and target adds to me
said by ftthz :
couldn't they drop the price of my connection or pay me to view them.
They also could drop the ads and charge you more for your connection.
--
Caddy
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TK Junk Mail @ 6th Dec 04:00PM:
Re: TOR
said by texans20 :
Yet another reason to use TOR.
NOT - »The hack of the year
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Madcap @ 6th Dec 04:01PM:
Re: Privacy violations, coming to an ISP near you...
If Comcast has been selling my clicks then I hope they enjoy the porn. The Fox, AdBlock Plus, Filterset.G to keep ABP updated.
At least SAA has my back.
--
PLBKAC
Replace User
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pog @ 6th Dec 04:03PM:
how are ads served?
I get how they'll extract the info to send back to NebuAd... but how will they be foisting the ads back on their victims?
Maybe we'll be required to run ISP-approved, NebuAd-compliant software?
--
My Site
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ftthz @ 6th Dec 04:05PM:
Re: if they sell my data and target adds to me
so far they haven't targeted me with ads... so why would they increase the price... so far they have probably just sold my data...
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ftthz @ 6th Dec 04:06PM:
Re: if they sell my data and target adds to me
I can still dream ... :-)
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Rastan @ 6th Dec 04:14PM:
Re: how are ads served?
That's what I'm wondering too. The ads will have to be served by the ISP itself otherwise someone will come up with a hack to prevent NebuAd from plastering people with ads.
This is a real scumbag way to make money. It's spam.
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Neoistheone @ 6th Dec 04:19PM:
ads?
I haven't scene a signal ad sins i installed Add Blocker Pulse :P
--
When you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME.
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inteller @ 6th Dec 04:20PM:
it is time for ISPs to realize
that the days of huge profits are over. Don't try to protect unrealistic profit margins by selling out your customer. this technology just reeks.
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s13 @ 6th Dec 04:30PM:
Wonderful
I think it's a great idea. With this new-found ad revenue, ISPs can pass some savings onto the end user!
... right? :X
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dave @ 6th Dec 04:32PM:
What lying weasel words these are
said by some scumbag :
"is dedicated to enhancing the browsing experience of users through our innovative behavioral analysis solutions."
Uh, yeah. Right up there with "this merger allows us to better serve our customers".
I wonder if they asked the users whether they want this "enhanced" experience?
I think I'd prefer the enhanced experience of no adverts ever. There isn't a medium around that advertisers won't destroy if they're permitted access (and they always will be permitted access).
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en102 @ 6th Dec 04:33PM:
Re: if they sell my data and target adds to me
More than likely, they'd keep the add.. and charge more for your connection. The name of the game is how much revenue can you bring in, and make the maximum amount of profit. If the CEO can't do it, they'll find another.
--
Canada = Hollywood North
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NormanS @ 6th Dec 04:38PM:
Re: Privacy violations, coming to an ISP near you...
said by rantou :
Money is the root of all evil...
The original quote is:
quote:
For the love of money is the root of all evil...
Money is, essentially, neutral.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum
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DotMac @ 6th Dec 04:40PM:
Re: Wonderful
No, they'll continue to bitch that Net Neutrality is a scheme of the Silicon Valley fat cats and they'll demand even more money for content delivery claiming that users aren't paying enough. Unfortunately for them, stories like this come to light showing that they make tons of $$$ off users from many different sources.
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Transmaster @ 6th Dec 04:45PM:
Re: Just block them
FireFox has all kinds of enhancements to stop this sort of thing.
--
Eat pork chops for Allah!
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rantou @ 6th Dec 04:48PM:
Re: Privacy violations, coming to an ISP near you...
Damn! Now I have to go back to the drawing board!
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s13 @ 6th Dec 04:52PM:
Re: What lying weasel words these are
said by dave :
Uh, yeah. Right up there with "this merger allows us to better serve our customers".
Yeah, that line borders on Orwellian - "ignorance is strength! advertising is enhancement!"
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texans20 @ 6th Dec 04:52PM:
Re: TOR
I know the dangers of using TOR, and specifically packet sniffers on exit nodes. I never, ever use TOR when doing things that require me to type a username / password. Also I don't use TOR on sites I trust, like this one.
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anon @ 6th Dec 07:18PM:
Re: What lying weasel words these are
Yeah, kinda like "I promise that I'll respect you in the morning"!
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MrMoody @ 6th Dec 05:09PM:
Stealing?
How do they serve these ads? I hope they aren't hijacking others' web pages and stealing their ad revenue.
--
The public is a poor business manager.
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DaSneaky1D @ 6th Dec 05:37PM:
Re: how are ads served?
- Your IP and results of deep inspection of destination website
- NebuAD server sees your results, forms ads "suited" for you.
- Website embedded with NebuAD client code delivers "suited" content to your IP on that web page...whether that ad has anything to do with the site in question or not.
-ISP profits
--
:: my trivial ramblings ::
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MLou @ 6th Dec 05:48PM:
Re: What lying weasel words these are
said by daveI think I'd prefer the enhanced experience of no adverts ever. There isn't a medium around that advertisers won't destroy if they're permitted access (and they always will be permitted access).
I'd pay double to get guaranteed privacy and no ads. I just want a dumb pipe. Is that too much to ask?
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dadkins @ 6th Dec 05:58PM:
Ads?
Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!
Ok... knock yerselves out! :p
--
Think outside the Fox... Opera
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MagMan @ 6th Dec 06:09PM:
Who Cares
Not me. ;)
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pog @ 6th Dec 06:09PM:
Re: how are ads served?
said by DaSneaky1D :
... Website embedded with NebuAD client code delivers "suited" content to your IP on that web page. ...
So each website has to collude with NebuAd?
--
My Site
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Blackbird @ 6th Dec 06:12PM:
Privacy implications?
From the article: "Most users are more concerned about privacy ramifications."
Yet in this thread, only a couple of the posters thus far have even mentioned privacy concerns pertaining to establishing routine deep-packet analysis at the ISP level. Fascinating divergence...
--
If God wanted us to work with electrons, He'd make them big enough to see...
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brianiscool @ 6th Dec 06:56PM:
Cool
I would agree to this if this could lower my costs for internet usage. What do you guys think?
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Red_Dog @ 6th Dec 06:57PM:
Ads ???
what ads :) :) :) :) :)
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DaSneaky1D @ 6th Dec 07:13PM:
Re: how are ads served?
I would think so. Seems to be the only way this could work.
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anon @ 6th Dec 07:15PM:
Re: Ads ???
Who cares whether or not you see the ads?
Can you hear that whooshing sound? It's the sound of something flying right by you. That something is these guys are setting up deep inspection on your surfing habits.
I guess who cares about an invasion of privacy as long as we have firefox running and have those pesky ads blocked.
I mean, if we don't block the ads, the terrorists win, right?
Let the corporations buy and sell our clickstream data. Let them inspect each and every packet that passes through thier pipe. Let them collate that information, tie it to a *specific* user, and then sell it. We don't care, we've got AD BLOCKER 5000 MEGASUPREME installed.
/end sarcasm
/end rant.
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SkyBlue @ 6th Dec 07:28PM:
YOU!
This Buds for you. King of beers.
reply
openbox9 @ 6th Dec 07:48PM:
Re: how are ads served?
NebuAd might also inject code into your http delivery, therefor displaying whatever ads might generate them the most revenue.
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openbox9 @ 6th Dec 07:49PM:
Re: it is time for ISPs to realize
It must be working because ISPs continue to add to their revenue streams.
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openbox9 @ 6th Dec 07:50PM:
Re: Wonderful
Or upgrade their infrastructure for everyone bitching that ISPs aren't expanding and building to what they're offering.
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TheMG @ 6th Dec 08:49PM:
Re: how are ads served?
Or they may redirect your DNS requests every once in a while to show a page with an AD with a link to continue to the page you were trying to reach...
Either way, that's shoving ads down the customer's throat. Any ISP that decides to go down the route of forcing targeted ads on people is not getting a cent from me.
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Shrapnel64 @ 6th Dec 09:11PM:
Just another reason to block them...
It's just another reason to block the ads at the firewall / internet content filtering level. I've blocked pretty much all sites that have ads -- some sites integrate them and then if I see them enough, I block the entire site.
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dvd536 @ 6th Dec 10:21PM:
Wonderful
Hardware based spyware you can't get rid of.
making money off our backs and not kicking anything back to us
this stinks even worse then their DNS crap.
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth
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funchords @ 6th Dec 10:48PM:
Re: how are ads served?
said by DaSneaky1D :
I would think so. Seems to be the only way this could work.
This is actually MORE packet forgery by ISPs. At the tail end of an HTTP page delivery, they ad code to display their ad.
»www.freepatentsonline.com/20070233857.html
Abstract:
A network device for monitoring and modifying data traffic between a client device and a server device is disclosed. The network device is configured to provide targeted advertisements to a user based on some or all of the data traffics generated the user. Different from a proxy server, the network device operates transparently from both perspectives of a computer being used by the user and a website being visited by the user. The network device is disposed in line between the computer and the network so that all data traffics are examined. The data packets exchanged between a computer and a website being visited are altered or modified in such a way that the head of the packets remains largely intact while the payloads of the packets are changed to suit the need of delivering transparently the targeted commercial information.
And if you want to see what it looks like, click HERE: »benanderson.net/blog/weblog.php?id=D20070622
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- Hillsboro, Oregon USA
Are you affected by Comcast's RST forging? How to test it! -or- Read my original report.
reply
viperpa33s @ 7th Dec 12:20AM:
Copyright my personal info
Pretty soon they will be tracking how many times I go to the bathroom so they can send me targeted ads for toilet paper. Ads are just getting so ridiculous. Funny the ISP uses my info and I don't even make a dime from it. I think I should be able to copyright my personal info.
Wouldn't it be nice if the cable stations would send me targeted shows to my liking instead of me saying I have 200 channels and there is nothing on.
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COMMAN @ 7th Dec 12:33AM:
Re: Ads ???
EXACTLY! To Heck with the ads - what about all this correlated data on MY surfing habits, and have we all forgotten about computers having a tendency to STORE this data? Who else besides the ad servers has access to this data? Could "big brother" be getting a free shot while the advertising industry pays for it? If I visit Ron Paul's web site 3 times in 1 day and my child surfs on over to some Neo-Nazi website for a school research project, am I gonna get thrown in Gitmo? Is it a national outrage for the NSA to do this but we're just going to overlook it when the company we pay for access is doing it? I don't surf porn, don't download pirated content - hell, I don't even hardly use e-mail or messenger services, but it's the freakin' principle of my right to privacy! If you want to see and sell my click-throughs, furnish me a free T-1 - otherwise stay the heck out of MY data!!!!!!!
(And to think of how many of my family members have died fighting for this "Free Country"! Terrorism, the plague, a bad traffic accident - the dangers of living will always be here. Our constitution - I'm not so sure.)
Comman
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karlmarx @ 7th Dec 12:37AM:
Re: Adblock plus
Oh how the high and mighty have fallen. By blocking ad's, you are not better than a common pirate. The web site owners DESERVE to make money, and what you are doing is taking money out of their pockets. That makes you a thief in my book.
--
Stick it to the MAN. Support your local torrent sites. Proudly providing 100mb of upstream for all your TV, Movie, and MP3 needs.
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jjeffeory @ 7th Dec 01:54AM:
Re: how are ads served?
And some people on here want us to pay for it by the byte. No, I don't think so....
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DSU @ 7th Dec 02:27AM:
Re: Adblock plus
LMFAO This deserves some type of reward. Couldn't have been more perfect.
--
Weeeeeee
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Plasticman @ 7th Dec 06:24AM:
Re: Adblock plus
said by karlmarx :
Oh how the high and mighty have fallen. By blocking ad's, you are not better than a common pirate. The web site owners DESERVE to make money, and what you are doing is taking money out of their pockets. That makes you a thief in my book.
This from a person who has, "Stick it to the MAN. Support your local torrent sites. Proudly providing 100mb of upstream for all your TV, Movie, and MP3 needs.", in his signature. Kind of condicending that you say blocking ads makes you a common pirate, But you openly advertise and seem to support pirating copywrited materials which are enevitably shared over torrent sites.....
Plasticman
--
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill today because they pissed me off
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mikenolan7 @ 7th Dec 08:38AM:
Re: Privacy implications?
At least they split the pipe when they give all of our data to the NSA. This crap would have to be in line, adding to the latency numbers both upstream (to track clicks) and downstream (to add targeted adds). So it's not only a disgusting invasion of privacy, it is degrading the service.
If the US Postal Service tried a stunt like this, checking the addresses of the bills we pay, then plastering adds on the mail we receive, we would be tripping over the heads rolling. It is sad that the leadership of this country understands so little about technology that they freely allow one, yet would never stand for the other. Ahh, I am so forgetful in my old age, the USPS doesn't employ lobbyists, do they?
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thevorpal @ 7th Dec 09:39AM:
Re: Adblock plus
That joke passed about 30,000ft above your head.
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cornelius785 @ 7th Dec 10:40AM:
how thoughtful of ISPs
for the most part i'm against this. somebody is just sitting back doing essentially nothing and making money off of what i do.
i could be persuade to be more nuetral on this sort of technology if it it results in a significantly (maybe more than 10%) lower bill, improvements to the network (fiber deployment, pings, upload/download speeds), and in general, i would want to see how it is also benefiting me also and not just the company and being another annoyance to me.
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dave @ 7th Dec 10:48AM:
Re: how are ads served?
Hey, I see a new security appliance.
said by my new idea :
The data packets exchanged between a computer and a website being visited are altered or modified in such a way that the head of the packets remains largely intact while the payloads of the packets are changed to suit the need of removing transparently the targeted commercial information.
This seems much better than the current approach of allowing the advert reference to remain in the HTML stream and them blocking the subsequent attempt to fetch the advert.
If you plan to get rich with my new idea, just send me a bunch of share options, ok?
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Edward1978 @ 7th Dec 11:46AM:
Sounds illegal to me.
Why can't big brother leave us alone?
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kontos @ 7th Dec 03:08PM:
Re: how are ads served?
said by pog :said by DaSneaky1D :
... Website embedded with NebuAD client code delivers "suited" content to your IP on that web page. ...
So each website has to collude with NebuAd?
That, or NebuAD colludes with doubleclick, adbrite, etc. They in turn throw ads up on the website you are viewing based on the NebuAD data.
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Blackbird @ 7th Dec 03:10PM:
It Needs to Be Stopped
This scenario is no different than if the phone company employed folks to sit and eavesdrop your phone calls, writing down anything said that's marketable... then being paid by markerters to ship the results off to them so you start receiving targeted telemarketer calls. In both scenarios, you pay for transparent, semi-private service - and in both cases, your privacy is compromised for money by the service provider. All the assurances in the world about "trusted methods", "aggregated data", "secure storage of data", "no personally-identificable collection", etc don't matter a whit... customer privacy has been violated.
If I respond to a reader-reply card tucked into a magazine and give contact inforation, if I mail in a rebate coupon with contact information, if I subscribe to various magazines and provide contact information, if I supply contact information to a marketing-related website - in every case, I've made a choice to provide it. When I make such choices I am (or should be) fully aware of the privacy compromises (ie: I'll end up on mailing lists, etc) that will probably result from my choices.
But if I pick up a phone or take my computer online to conduct routine and ordinary activity, I am given no choice with regard to these kinds of data collection methods which will result in my being targeted for ads and who-knows-what-else. It's simply unacceptable. Offending ISPs need to hear from their customers - loudly and repeatedly - about such behavior, reinforced with customer migration to non-offending ISPs. Federal regulatory agencies should hear about it - repeatedly. Congressmen should hear about it - strongly, and reinforced at voting booths if necessary. Because privacy is fragile, and once it's lost in any part of the culture, it's gone for good there.
--
If God wanted us to work with electrons, He'd make them big enough to see...
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wallofchaos @ 7th Dec 04:05PM:
packet sniffing
Just another step closer to communism.
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flarn @ 7th Dec 04:39PM:
Re: Ads ???
What 'right to privacy'? There is no such thing in the constitution.
To save you (some) trouble - it comes from a Supreme Court case in the 1970s where one of the justices decided to make up this vague right. In the end you do not have a right to privacy from the constitution. The one granted to you from that Justice's opinion has changed over time as the justices try to nail down what exactly it is.
--
anti-logic
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funchords @ 7th Dec 04:58PM:
Re: how are ads served?
No, the websites have no control -- or even any knowledge that this is going on.
The ads are placed mid-stream, by modifying the page after it leaves the web server and before it reaches the browser.
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tektron @ 7th Dec 08:25PM:
Re: Adblock plus
This disapprobation brought to you by the letters W, A, and H.
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dave @ 8th Dec 11:59AM:
Re: packet sniffing
said by wallofchaos :
Just another step closer to communism.
What the hell are you talking about?
This is sheer naked capitalism. People are eavesdropping in order to sell you stuff.
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ankh @ 8th Dec 01:29PM:
Re: packet sniffing
All this is basically the "man in the middle" attack, eh?
Capture each message either way, inspect it, and alter it slightly.
Next out:
-- GovFilter: twists the news to suit the government
-- GodFilter: alters any science reports to eliminate whatever's against your parents or state's or ISP's religion
-- BadFilter: Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds ....
reply
elvey @ 10th Dec 06:17PM:
Re: how are ads served?
»www.khirman.com/patents:
#
US 7,263,558 : Method and apparatus for providing additional information in response to an application server request
A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing additional information, such as advertisements, to a client device via the response signal to an application (or web) server request. A client device is in communication with a server device, and sends a request for information to the server via a network connection. A device is associated with the network connection that detects and analyzes the signals being exchanged. The device would likely be associated with a point-of-presence to an Internet connection, for an ISP or the like. The associated device sends an appropriately timed reset signal to the server device that prevents the server device from further responding to signals subsequently received from the client device. The associated device sends, in response to the web server request, a response signal to the client device. The response signal provides additional information, along with the originally requested web server material. The additional information, along...
Evil Genius?
It'll be interesting to meet the guy:
»www.khirman.com/CTC/NextMeeting.htm
--
AT&T is the world's second-largest SpamHaus and leads an
Organized Crime Syndicate. Also see TURN.org or UCAN.
reply
funchords @ 10th Dec 07:20PM:
Re: how are ads served?
What would be interesting is finding out whether he knows that NebuAd might be infringing on his patent (although I didn't read the whole NebuAd application, so I don't know if it actually is an infringement).
This is more packet forgery, never the less.
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- Hillsboro, Oregon USA
Are you affected by Comcast's RST forging? How to test it! -or- Read my original report.
reply
elvey @ 10th Dec 11:06PM:
Re: how are ads served?
Since the ISPs that are employing Nebuad aren't about to out themselves, the reverse scheme should work. How 'bout we have folks ask their ISP whether they confirm that they do not have NebuAd or FairEagle technology on their network,or do not sell clickstream data, and we post the info, with references, on some wiki? (Like a Warrant Canary)
--
AT&T is the world's second-largest SpamHaus and leads an
Organized Crime Syndicate. Also see TURN.org or UCAN.
reply
funchords @ 11th Dec 01:17AM:
Re: how are ads served?
NNSquad is working on exactly that (www.nnsquad.org).
As much as I despise what NebuAd is doing, one thing that they are not doing is pulling a "Comcast" by trying to keep this a big secret. (Of course, you have to be savvy enough to notice the tacked-on ads and Opt Out.)
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- Hillsboro, Oregon USA
Are you affected by Comcast's RST forging? How to test it! -or- Read my original report.
reply
elvey @ 6th Jan 09:06PM:
Re: how are ads served?
Thanks. Looks like a good bunch there!
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