Week 7 blog - CYBR650

This blog is to make up for Week 7.  I was working on my post for the Security Trends forum and posted that but am still thinking about it. The subject is Verizon and AT&T's use of supercookies in order to track their customer's data useage and utilize the information gathered from this tracking to allow advertisers to focus their attention to users.  While this is the main purpose of this time, the information gathered with the use of these supercookies can also be used by other commercial and government agencies for a whole range of things.

These supercookies are supposed to be stronger than the cookies we are used to seeing and are supposed to keep the users information confidential, even though it has been proven time and again that this is an unrealistic expectation.

How do I feel about this?  I'm torn.  On one hand, I suppose in this day and age advertisers and businesses have to do what they can to catch the consumer's attention. 

However, as a private citizen, I'm not sure I like this idea.  Number one, I pay enough for my cell phone service that I should not have to wonder if my information and my activity is private.  I think that is an expectation consumers have.  I also think that by advertisers focusing on consumers based on their useage, it is unfair to the consumers and limits their decision making ability.

One example I have for that is, I was looking for a trivet to set in my electronic pressure cooker to keep the meat and potatoes I cook in there up out of the liquid I use in it so it doesn't taste so watered down.  I didn't know what I was looking for when I started hunting, I started out actually looking for round cooling racks.  Found a few things on Google and followed the links.  Now, every time I open ebay or Facebook, bam, there is the advertisement for the last item I looked at.  Sure, I was looking for it, but I would like the advertising to perhaps be alternated or something so I don't see the same thing from the same company time after time.  I now just ignore the advertisements.

As far as my personal information being at risk, I'm not sure how much of it would be.  Probably more than I think since I am trying to become more organized and using my phone like more of an organizer these days rather than just a phone.


How do you feel about this?  What are your thoughts?