From the Washington Post
Internet providers want to know more about you than Google does, privacy groups say
By Brian Fung
Most of us know, at least in the abstract, that Google and Facebook are tracking our every move online. Even Netflix collects detailed information on our binge-viewing habits....
But what if I told you there are companies that can go much deeper than firms like Google and Facebook in their data-gathering prowess? ...
Tech companies might enjoy access to a handful of these insights based on the data they gather when you visit their properties. But telecom and cable companies are in a position to learn much more about you, policy analysts say....
“An ISP has access to your full pipe and can see everything you do” online if you aren’t taking extra steps to shield your activities, said Chris Hoofnagle, a law professor at the University of California Berkeley [School of Information]. Other than corporate privacy policies, he said, nothing under current law prevents broadband companies from sharing information with marketers about what types of Web sites you visit....