Comcast Says It Will Immediately Stop Recording Customer Web Browsing

Associated Press / SFGate ^

[RCW2001]

Comcast Corp., the nation's third-largest cable company, pledged Wednesday to immediately stop recording the Web browsing activities of each of its 1 million high-speed Internet subscribers.

Comcast said in a statement that it will stop storing the information "in order to completely reassure our customers that the privacy of their information is secure." The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the company had started recording each customer's visit to a Web page as part of a technology overhaul to save money and speed up the network.

[DoughtyOne]

Good. Next!

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Just goes to show how fast these companies change their tune when their antics are exposed.

[PaulJ]

The ranking Democrat on the House Commerce subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet...

Wow! It's been a long time since I've been thankful to a Democrat for anything!

[Lazamataz]

My only shock is that anyone is upset by all the web tracking. After all, if it catches ONE TERRORIST....

[Diverdogz]

Hmmmm. I'd be terrorized every day that my web surfing habits were being monitored. I was going to cancel Comcast over the issue, which would be a shame, because I do like the service. But the thought of my web-surfing habits being subpenaed in a civil suit scares the bejesus out of me. Now I don't have to worry about it.

To know how someone spends their time online is to peek into their very mind. Its nobody's business but mine.

[callisto]

Let's see the original article was posted on FR at 8:57 AM Eastern. That took all of 5 1/2 hours. Not bad...they obviously received more complaints than they acknowledged.

[gnarledmaw]

Too little, too late. I will continue to use my position as a professional computer geek to steer people away from Comcast just as I do AOL. My dollars and those of the people I consult for will go somewhere else.

[PRND21]

It also shows they knew they were wrong.

[Physicist]

Holy crow, we're saved by a Massachusetts democrat!

[Joe Brower]

Kewl. "When they feel the heat, they see the light".

Of course, just 'cuz they say they're stopping their illicit activities doesn't mean that they're actually doing so...

[Mixer]

That was fast Indexing!

[lawyamike]

Err ... how much privacy do you think you have when you send something out over the ether? You are sending text files over the internet every time you access a web page or post a reply on FreeRepublic. The data is still available should one seek to subpoena it, as those who have been on the business end of litigation over AOL's compliance with such demands have learned.

You have no privacy on the internet unless you make it a point to protect yourself (with encryption, secure sockets, etc.) Even then, you have very little privacy.

The question has not percolated among federal appellate courts whether one has a reasonable expectation of privacy in internet communication, and the Supreme Court therefore has not yet addressed it. My money is on a ruling that the Fourth Amendment simply doesn't apply.

Be careful. Comcast is the least of your worries.

[dr.cookie]

All surfing is recorded by ALL ISPs. This should be stopped and violations should be punished with the death penalty.

[ELS]

I will continue to use my position as a professional computer geek to steer people away from Comcast just as I do AOL.

Prefering a broadband connection to the internet, my options are cable, satellite, and DSL. My cable company is Com(mie)cast. My lease doesn't allow me to have a satellite antenna. That leaves DSL. Any recommendations on a DSL provider?

[steve-b]

To know how someone spends their time online is to peek into their very mind.

How To Tell If Your Used Computer Belonged To Somebody Famous:

1. The hard drive contains billions and billions of astronomical images.
2. Spell checker reports "strategery" and "misunderestimate" as valid words.
3. Password is "Death To American Infidels"
4. System monitor software has rapidly-increasing entries for "Copies of Windows Sold" and "My Net Worth".
5. You surf to a porn site and are greeted with the message, "Welcome Back, Mr. President"!

[mrustow]

bttt

[Diverdogz]

Thanks a lot, pal. Igorance was bliss until you shattered my delusions :) I figured that things I posted to FR, or any other message board for that matter could be traced back to me. It is scary to think that pages that I access could be discoverd (short of someone confiscating my computer and searching the hard drive.)

Imagine the fishing expeditions that will happen to embarrass someone over the web hits they have made......politicians, divorce cases. Lots of possibilities.

The ultimate nightmare would be for someone to set up a website where you could search for someone elses web hits without a subpena.

[gnarledmaw]

Whats "good" varies by location/availability, price your willing to pay, etc. If I were you, I would check with the folks at dslreports.com or dslavailability.com to see who provides service in your area and what others in your area have to say.