supercookies
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FTC tells Verizon 'supercookie' partner to give you an exit
Verizon (aka our corporate overlords) may have settled with the FCC over its seemingly inescapable "supercookie" web tracking back in March, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The carrier was sending that information to a third party, Turn, which used it for ad purposes. What about its fate? Well, now we know: Turn has settled with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that it deceived web surfers by tracking them even when they took steps to avoid monitoring. The company not only has to properly disclose the nature of its tracking, but offer an "effective" opt-out. In the "supercookie" days, the opt-out only worked for mobile web browsers, not ads within apps -- that shouldn't be a problem following the FTC order.
Verizon can't share web activity with advertisers unless you opt in
Last spring, Verizon began offering its customers a way to opt out of the "supercookies" that track activity for advertisers to leverage. Following a settlement with the FCC, the wireless company must give customers the choice to opt in to the program rather than employing the tracking system by default. Verizon has to notify customers about its use of the unique undeletable identifiers, or UIDH, for targeted advertising. Only after users give consent is the company able to share any web browsing data with either third parties or within its corporate family.
Verizon's customer-tracking 'supercookies' connect to AOL ads
In the last year it's become known that Verizon uses "supercookies" (aka UIDH or Relevant Mobile Advertising) to track what its mobile customers are doing, but now it's taking a step further by quietly linking that information to ads from AOL (the parent company of Engadget, which is also now owned by Verizon). According to ProPublica, the AOL ad network reaches across 40 percent of the internet, and by working with Verizon's UIDH (Unique Identifying Device Header) it can track in great detail what apps people on Verizon Wireless use and what websites they visit. Unfortunately, beyond just serving up targeted ads, the information is also unencrypted and could possibly be used by others to track you. The only good news? Verizon subscribers can opt out, which you can do by following this link or calling 1-866—211—0874.
Verizon finally offers a way to avoid its 'supercookie' tracker
Hey there Verizon subscribers, remember that whole "supercookie" ordeal from not too long ago? Well, it looks like it's time to put that mess behind us because the ability to wholly opt out of said tracking system is finally available, according to The New York Times. That's right, the undeletable, unique identifier header is basically a thing of the past once you either opt out on Big Red's website or call 1-866-211-0874. Seems pretty good, right? It is, but it's a half-measure -- this sort of thing should be opt-in, not the other way around. Privacy advocates like the Electronic Frontier Foundation are pushing Verizon to reverse that, or, hopefully, discontinue the supercookie program altogether. Given how big our digital footprints can get, having an automatic way to shrink them even just a little would probably come as welcome news for practically anyone. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Daily Roundup: Tesla Model X, DARPA YouTube robots and more!
Tesla's Model X has been spotted in the wild; a new DARPA technology lets robots learn from YouTube videos; and Verizon is changing its policy on "supercookies." Get the details on these stories and more in the Daily Roundup.
Verizon Wireless will let you dodge those sketchy 'supercookies'
Living a wholly private life on the internet is getting to be impossible, but months of thinkpieces and public outcry finally seem to have done a little good where one company is concerned. According to the New York Times, Verizon Wireless is giving its customers the option to fully opt out of the quiet, advertiser-friendly web tracking it's been conducting for the better part of two years. Alas, there's no word yet on just when that change will take effect, though it can't come soon enough for the privacy advocates and concerned consumers that've been raising hell since the existence of so-called "supercookies" came to light.
