{"id":6892,"date":"2014-11-19T10:00:22","date_gmt":"2014-11-19T15:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=6892"},"modified":"2014-11-19T10:00:22","modified_gmt":"2014-11-19T15:00:22","slug":"att-kills-the-permacookie-stops-tracking-customers-internet-usage-for-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/11\/19\/att-kills-the-permacookie-stops-tracking-customers-internet-usage-for-now\/","title":{"rendered":"AT&T kills the ‘permacookie,’ stops tracking customers’ Internet usage (for now)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In recent weeks, Verizon and AT&T have been caught up in a privacy firestorm over their use of so-called \u201cpermacookies,\u201d a method of tracking what their users do while browsing the Web with the intent of sharing that data with advertisers. Verizon\u2019s permacookie program lives on, but AT&T has ceased the practice, ProPublica reported on Friday.<\/p>\n

At least for now.<\/p>\n

AT&T tells ProPublica that its use of permacookies was \u201cpart of a test,\u201d which has since wrapped up, but the company says that it \u201cmay still launch a program to sell data collected by its tracking number.\u201d For its part, AT&T says that it will allow customers to opt out of the program if\u2014or when\u2014it decides to use permacookies for advertising purposes.<\/p>\n

The story behind the story: Permacookies aren\u2019t cookies in the traditional sense: Instead, they\u2019re unique identifiers appended to website addresses you type in on your device that let carriers see what kinds of sites you visit.<\/p>\n

Permacookies exist for the same reason traditional tracking cookies exist\u2014so advertisers can see what sorts of things you might be interested and serve up related ads in the hopes that you\u2019ll click on them. But unlike regular tracking cookies, which you can easily delete from your browser or block entirely, there\u2019s no way of removing or blocking permacookies since they\u2019re handled entirely by the carrier.<\/p>\n

Permacookies here to stay?<\/p>\n

Despite the outcry from consumers and activists, it\u2019s hard to shake the feeling that permacookies aren\u2019t going away now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag. Both Verizon and AT&T have said they allow (or will allow) customers to opt out of the advertiser data sharing program, as ProPublica notes (though Verizon won\u2019t let you opt out of the identifier program), but you\u2019re still very much at the mercy of the carriers.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re on Verizon and are concerned about the privacy implications, our Ian Paul has a couple suggestions: First, use Wi-Fi instead of the cellular network whenever possible so you bypass Verizon\u2019s network entirely. If that\u2019s not practical, though, consider using a VPN to help keep your Web browsing private.<\/p>\n

via AT&T kills the ‘permacookie,’ stops tracking customers’ Internet usage (for now) | PCWorld<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In recent weeks, Verizon and AT&T have been caught up in a privacy firestorm over their use of so-called \u201cpermacookies,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,9,10],"tags":[101,822,1152],"class_list":["post-6892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-security","category-software","category-technology","tag-att","tag-phones","tag-verizon"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-1Na","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8855,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2016\/03\/07\/verizons-supercookie-fcc-settlement-requires-opt-in-for-some-tracking\/","url_meta":{"origin":6892,"position":0},"title":"Verizon’s ‘Supercookie’ FCC settlement requires opt-in for some tracking","author":"NCCT","date":"March 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"By Jared Newman | PCWorld Verizon Wireless is getting slapped with a fine and privacy requirements after inserting undeletable tracking cookies into users\u2019 browsing sessions. As part of a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission, Verizon will have to get users\u2019 permission to share these \u201csupercookies\u201d with third-party partners. However,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6573,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/10\/09\/analysis-wireless-data-caps-more-about-profit-than-congestion\/","url_meta":{"origin":6892,"position":1},"title":"Analysis: Wireless data caps more about profit than congestion","author":"NCCT","date":"October 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Wireless carriers like to say that monthly data caps are necessary to prevent heavy users from slowing down less active ones. 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AT&T made no secret of its opposition to the FCC's net neutrality order, but it was reported last month that trade groups rather than individual ISPs would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/att-logo-300x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5769,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/06\/16\/this-week-in-tech-462-crazy-train\/","url_meta":{"origin":6892,"position":4},"title":"This Week in Tech 462: Crazy Train","author":"NCCT","date":"June 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Hosts: Leo Laporte, John C. Dvorak, Jolie O'Dell, and Dwight Silverman Comcast turns Houston home routers into public hotspots, Tesla is allowing other people to use its patents in hopes to establish the company's technology as the industry standard, Netflix and Verizon feud over internet congestion, AT&T says they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/LBCFbXz3o38\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6135,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/08\/06\/sprintt-mobile-plan-to-buy-spectrum-together-may-be-blocked-by-fcc\/","url_meta":{"origin":6892,"position":5},"title":"Sprint\/T-Mobile plan to buy spectrum together may be blocked by FCC","author":"NCCT","date":"August 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A proposal from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler would block an attempt by Sprint and T-Mobile US to buy spectrum together in the incentive auction that will transfer airwaves from broadcast TV stations to cellular carriers next year. Further Reading FCC chairman regrets that AT&T and Verizon control the best spectrum\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Networking"","block_context":{"text":"Networking","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/networking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/2014_coverage_map2-300x150.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6892\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}