who is monetizing your data?

[tulak]

The thread on VPN hacks, specifically:

From the article section, "Which VPN to Trust?"
"The important thing to note here, though, is that a VPN is merely serving as a substitute for who sees your data. When you use a VPN, it isn’t your ISP or a restrictive government viewing your activity—it’s the VPN itself."

Made me think this is an interesting question that deserves it's own thread.

Companies that we rely on for internet access are collecting and selling our web browsing/app usage data too.

Here's an article from Vox describing how the major cellphone providers in the US are doing this:

Beginning April 26, T-Mobile says it will use its customers’ web browsing and app usage data to sell targeted ads unless those customers opt out.

...

What T-Mobile is doing isn’t unusual, however, and it’s not new. Verizon and AT&T have been doing this for years. Mobile carriers figured out a long time ago that they have two ways of making money off of their customers: what those customers pay to use their services, and then, what carriers earn by selling the data those paying customers provide as they use those services.

https://www.vox.com/recode/22325420/t-mobile-verizon-att-ad-targeting-data

I've known that this is a common practice, but never paid much attention. I'm a T-Mobile customer and based on this article, I went to their website and disabled data collection. I'm not sure how much that will help, but I figure I won't make it easy for them.

I suspect this is common practice for many of the free VPN services and the ability to opt-out is probably limited. After all, they need to make their money somewhere.

I wonder how many ISPs collect this data?

I use CenturyLink as my ISP. I'll investigate this later and see if they are collecting data. And if so, if there's any way to opt-out.

 

[braumeister]

Good point. I opted out on T-Mobile as well.

Also, for the benefit of others, they have two different services, Scam ID which marks possible robocalls and suspicious calls, and Scam Block which blocks them before they can ring.

To turn on Scam ID, press #664# and then hit the call button. It gives you an acknowledgement and another code to turn it back off later if you want.

To turn on Scam Block, press #662# and then the call button. Same response.

While you may not want to use Scam Block, I think it's very worthwhile for anyone to use Scam ID.

Other phone carriers generally have similar options; this is just how T-Mobile does it.

 

[CDRE]

Thanks for the link and info. I'm interested in the results of your investigation on your ISP. I wonder if there is a VPN somewhere that touts and lists the ISP's data collection management so that the VPN can generate more sales.

 

[Lsbcal]

Just happened to have opted out of TMobil today.

Oh well, an an equity investor I guess I get to collect my indirect business profits from this activity. A more comforting thought?

 

[Midpack]

Every site that offers anything for “free” and many paid sites have been monetizing our data for years, and more do it every day. I think it’s naive how many people actually believe there are free apps...

 

[USGrant1962]

Every site that offers anything for “free” and many paid sites have been monetizing our data for years, and more do it every day. I think it’s naive how many people actually believe there are free apps...

+1

As they say, "if you are not paying for the product, you are the product".

Not that there is anything wrong with that, as long as you realize you are giving up your web ad space, email address, etc. for the services you are receiving.

 

[Lsbcal]

+1

As they say, "if you are not paying for the product, you are the product".

Not that there is anything wrong with that, as long as you realize you are giving up your web ad space, email address, etc. for the services you are receiving.

For most sites I find the ad blocker works well.

 

[ownyourfuture]

For most sites I find the ad blocker works well.

Agree, but more & more sites are requiring that you either subscribe, or disable ad blocker, at which point the site literally becomes unreadable.

That happened with the Minnesota newspaper I enjoy reading.
It became so bad, I subscribed.

It works out to approximately $.18 per day.
Nothing wrong with that imo.

 

[Lsbcal]

Agree, but more & more sites are requiring that you either subscribe, or disable ad blocker, at which point the site literally becomes unreadable.

That happened with the Minnesota newspaper I enjoy reading.
It became so bad, I subscribed.

It works out to approximately $.18 per day.
Nothing wrong with that imo.

We subscribe to our local paper too. I too noticed the ad blocker was OK but only with a subscription.

 

[Music Lover]

Every site that offers anything for “free” and many paid sites have been monetizing our data for years, and more do it every day. I think it’s naive how many people actually believe there are free apps...

It's amazing how many simple apps want access to almost your entire phone. I remember once not downloading a flashlight app (years ago before phones started including them) because it wanted access to my contact list. Why does a flashlight app need to know my contacts?

If it's free then you're the product.