AT&T Backs Off Undeletable Super Cookies

[HardOCP News]

Now that you bring it up, all that tracking stuff was just a trial, we're totally not doing it anymore...pinky swear.

"It has been phased off our network," said Emily J. Edmonds, an AT&T spokeswoman....AT&T said it used the tracking numbers as part of a test, which it has now completed. Edmonds said AT&T may still launch a program to sell data collected by its tracking number, but that if and when it does, "customers will be able to opt out of the ad program and not have the numeric code inserted on their device."

 

[lollerwaffle]

The Social Security number of our age, only the number is specific to the data collector so they can monetize it properly.

 

[sfsuphysics]

oh it's ok, I'm sure everyone agreed to it in the ToS they signed or presumably agreed to because they used a site that AT&T hosted.

 

[JeffDC]

How many stories like this will be required before we understand the catastrophe of allowing the medium (internet providers like Comcast and Verizon) and message (content producers like NBC and TimeWarner) to become the same companies? The inevitable thuggery has already begun, e.g. AT&T "pausing" its fiber rollout in response to pending Title I/II protection of internet traffic, Comcast's pushing for "fast lanes" etc. This problem can only and will only get worse until companies are legally barred from being both service providers and content producers.

 

[CreepyUncleGoogle]

Seriously, what's wrong with a company holding off on making major capital investments if it can't be certain pending legislation will or won't make it profitable to do so? That's not thuggery. It's just the outcome of a NPV calculation on some accountant's desk.

 

[PantherBlitz]

How long before "Super Cookie" technology gets exploited by spyware pushers? It did not take long for scum to use rootkits after Sony developed them.

 

[-Axiom-]

How long before "Super Cookie" technology gets exploited by spyware pushers? It did not take long for scum to use rootkits after Sony developed them.

I haven't bought a Sony product since that revelation came to light.

 

[PantherBlitz]

OK, upon further review, it looks like this is just a privacy issue. The phrase "super cookie" is misleading as nothing is left on your device.

 

[tempertantrum]

Seriously, what's wrong with a company holding off on making major capital investments if it can't be certain pending legislation will or won't make it profitable to do so? That's not thuggery. It's just the outcome of a NPV calculation on some accountant's desk.

I'd agree, except they've already taken so many subsidies to do exactly that...

 

[/usr/sbin]

Crap like this is why I always have my connection running through a VPN that I personally administer. Fk these assholes and their disregard for privacy.