Google paying users to track 100% of their Web usage via little black box

Discussion in 'privacy general' started by ronjor, Feb 8, 2012.

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  1. ronjor

    ronjor Global Moderator

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    Any takers? :D
    http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news...0-of-their-web-usage-via-little-black-box.ars
     
  2. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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    Wow cool. I have absolutely nothing to hide so I wouldn't mind a few bucks =p I'll look into this.

    EDIT: Just signed up. I'll happily let them see my posts on wilders and other forums.
     
  3. EncryptedBytes

    EncryptedBytes Registered Member

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    Too 1984 for my taste. At least it is opt-in and not opt-out:p
     
  4. Dermot7

    Dermot7 Registered Member

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  5. elapsed

    elapsed Registered Member

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    I LIKE this. :thumb:
     
  6. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    The money? Who doesn't? :eek: :D
     
  7. Dermot7

    Dermot7 Registered Member

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    But aren't people to be paid with Amazon vouchers, if I'm correct, so "payment" just goes back in general "coffers"?
     
  8. noone_particular

    noone_particular Registered Member

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    Black boxes to monitor your internet usage. Black boxes to monitor your driving and determine your insurance payments. What's next, black boxes to monitor your health and decide your health care premiums? Black boxes to monitor your heart rate, respiration, and stress level in order to make sure you work hard enough to earn your pay? Where does it end?

    Most of the responses here don't surprise me any more. Anything for a buck.
     
  9. LoneWolf

    LoneWolf Registered Member

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    No way, No how, No sir.
    Google doesn't have enough info of everyone so now they want to pay you for it.
    Not happening here.
     
  10. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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    It's an opt-in program that pays people for information. It's no different than those survey groups that pay you money to answer questions on a brand etc.

    EDIT: You're jumping from an opt-in program for money to mandatory monitoring of your heart in order to keep your job.

    The fact is that, yes, I have nothing to hide so I have nothing to fear. I still have the right to hide, but I'll definitely show them a few of my posts on a forum for a few bucks. Why not? Everything I do online is fairly public anyways...
     
  11. noone_particular

    noone_particular Registered Member

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    You don't see a pattern and a trend here? There's no real difference betwen receiving some money for having your internet usage monitored and getting a discount if they can monitor your driving. Right now, they are opt in.

    The "I have nothing to hide" argument is ridiculous. AFAIC, whether I do or not, I have no need to prove it just as I don't need to be monitored to prove I'm a decent driver. Where I browse, what I read, what apps I use, etc is none of Google's or anyone elses business, just as where, when, and how I drive from day to day is none of the insurance company's business. The more of this trend people accept, the more common it will become until it invades every aspect of our lives.

    Back on the traffic monitoring idea. I also run a Tor exit node. It's absolutely none of Google's or anyone elses business what traffic is relayed and to where.
     
  12. x942

    x942 Guest

    So here is what I will do:

    I am going to sign up, get the box, put it on a another modem, set up a computer with a webcrawler, have the webcrawling script surf the net every two hours for ~30min from 8 am to 10 pm, with breaks for lunch time, then I will get the money and not lose any privacy. :D

    Win win for me :p
     
  13. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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    I have no problem with you wanting to hide. I don't have anythin to hide so I don't care. I believe that you and I both have the right to hide but if someone's going to pay me to show a few posts on a browser I'll take it.

    Isn't that... directly the insurance companies business? I mean literally... it's their business.
     
  14. AlexC

    AlexC Registered Member

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    What will they do with the collected information? Any explanation from Google?
     
  15. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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    ...........
     
  16. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    Many people would sell their souls for less :D So making a few $ or more will be right up their street :p Clever move by google, & i expect a lot of sheep to sign up :D The problem is, most people don't read the small print, or actually realise the implications of what they do. One day they might, but then it's too late !

    Brilliant :D
     
  17. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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    Can you point out the small print that we sheep missed?
     
  18. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    First off, you need to learn how to Quote people correctly, like wut i just dun did :p I'm presuming you were quoting me ?

    Maybe you read the SP & Every privacy policy, & understand ALL the implications etc, so good for you. But apart from some people on here & similar forums etc, i don't know Anybody who does, or has, EVER ! They are the ones i am referring to ;)
     
  19. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    Yup, as predicted, plenty of sheep to the slaughter :D
     
  20. LoneWolf

    LoneWolf Registered Member

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    I'm sure of that, I'm also sure it ain't gonna be me.
     
  21. Page42

    Page42 Registered Member

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    I don't know... it doesn't sound much different than the Nielsen ratings process for television, and we don't hear much from the "sheep to slaughter" critics with that technology.
     
  22. Joeythedude

    Joeythedude Registered Member

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    Its the same model as why large shopping chains give discount cards , and store all the data about why and when
    people buy stuff.

    Google will prob get a great deal of value from info that people will sell for a pittance.

    each individual person will "have nothing to hide" , but once google or any big company
    has all that data , they can be "manipluate" each person much more effectively.
     
  23. noone_particular

    noone_particular Registered Member

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    That's a twisted comparison. Not wanting your every move tracked is not even close to the same as hiding.
    ROFL A few posts?

    Regarding insurance,
    Their business is insuring you and the car, not monitoring your every move behind the wheel. You don't see or care about the shift here? Your driving record is no longer good enough anymore to determine your rates? They need real time proof that you drive as they think you should? The cost of this mandatory coverage is bad enough but now it's worse if you don't agree to being monitored? You think this is acceptable? It's not a savings if you agree to it. It's a price hike if you don't.

    This trend is infiltrating every aspects of our lives, yet people think it's fine if they wave a few bucks under your nose. Wake up people. If people keep accepting or tolerating this, soon it will be the only option.
     
  24. Spooony

    Spooony Registered Member

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    Narus is a 7-year-old company which, because of its particular niche, appeals not only to businessmen (it is backed by AT&T, JP Morgan and Intel, among others) but also to police, military and intelligence officials. November 2004 13-14, for instance, Narus was the “Lead Sponsor” for a technical conference held in McLean, Virginia, titled “Intelligence Support Systems for Lawful Interception and Internet Surveillance.”* Police officials, FBI and DEA agents, and major telecommunications companies eager to cash in on the “war on terror” had gathered in the hometown of the CIA to discuss their special problems. Among the attendees were AT&T, BellSouth, MCI, Sprint and Verizon. Narus founder, Dr. Ori Cohen, gave a keynote speech. So what does the Narus STA 6400 do?

    The [Narus] STA Platform consists of standalone traffic analyzers that collect network and customer usage information in real time directly from the
    message...These analyzers sit on the message pipe into the ISP [Internet Service Provider] cloud rather than tap into each router or ISP device (Telecommunications magazine, April, 2000),**

    A Narus press release (1 Dec.,1999) also boasts that its Semantic Traffic Analysis (STA) technology “captures comprehensive customer usage data...and transforms it into actionable information...[it] is the only technology that provides complete visibility for all Internet applications.”***
    To implement this scheme, WorldNet's highspeed data circuits already in service had to be re-routed to go through the special “splitter” cabinet. This was addressed in another document of 44 pages from AT&T Labs, titled “SIMS


    ISS World is now an international event where service providers, law enforcement agencies, other government officials and vendors can meet to create cost effective lawful interception, fraud control and network security solutions that balance privacy, national security and public safety.
    ISS World 2003 Attendees
    Service Providers
    AT&T
    AT&T Wireless
    BellSouth
    Bluegrass Cellular
    British Telecom
    Comcast
    Earthlink
    ICG Communications
    Intelus
    LDMI Telecom
    Level 3
    Lightship Telecom
    MCI
    Nemont Telephone
    Nextel
    Pac-West
    South Central Rural Telephone
    Sprint
    Sprint PCS
    T-Mobile
    Telus
    Telenor
    TelePacific Communications
    Telestra
    U.S. Cellular
    United Online
    Verizon
    Z-Tel
    Law Enforcement Agencies
    Australian Federal Police
    D.C. Police Department
    Drug Enforcement Administration
    Federal Bureau of Investigation
    Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement
    Maryland State Police
    National Drug Intelligence Center
    Quebec Police Force
    Royal Canadian Mounted Police
    U.S. Capital Police
    U.S. Secret Service
    Vancouver Police Department
    Virginia State Police
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2012
  25. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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    Nielsen ratings were the first thing I thought of actually. They see what TV shows you watch and you get money.

    *gasp*

    evil

    I wasn't trying to say "hiding" in a bad way. I just meant not wanting to be tracked.
     
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