I use Blur's Premium service. Once exposed to it, I instantly knew I wanted this service. I'm not one who would normally push any product and service, but this new Internet privacy issue seems a nightmare to me and I believe with Blur and a good VPN you may be able to limit how severely your privacy is being violated. If I were not financially challenged, I'd purchase the DeleteMe product as well.
I'm hearing that your Internet Service Provider can now sell your browsing history. I haven't determined all the details but on the face of it I say: NO THANK YOU. Here is a recent letter I received from the CEO of Abine, the creator of Blur.
Given the pending elimination of the FCC’s Internet Privacy Protection regulations, we’d like to take a moment to share our views on what you can do – whatever your political affiliation – to help preserve your online privacy.
Here’s what’s happening:
Your ISP (e.g. Comcast, Verizon, etc.) will be able to freely track and sell the data they have about your personal online activities. (See WSJ.com for more). Specifically, they will be able to market and sell a list of all the websites you visit from your home without having to get your permission.Before you read further, if you just want a discount:
- Click here for our DeleteMe removal service
- Click here for our Blur premium service
- Use the code FCCPRIVACY at checkout for a 25% discount
Why we think this is important:
Your searches and other digital activities online are under surveillance. Who’s watching you? Hundreds of companies who you likely haven’t heard of called “ad-networks” as well as many companies that you do know, like Google and Facebook. They all track and sell data about what you do online. That may be why you investigated our services at Abine, The Online Privacy Company, in the first place.The FTC will be allowing your ISP - who typically knows your true identity more so than most Internet companies (including knowing home address and social security number) - to have more freedom to sell data about you.
Before this current ruling, the existing FTC rule would have required companies that provide your internet access (your ISP) to first get your permission before selling your web-browsing history to others (i.e. you’d have to “opt-in” to allow this). Now, they don’t. In fact the cable providers argued with the FTC that your web-browsing history wasn’t even “personal data.” We disagree – do you?
The real danger with your ISP selling your data to others is that literally anyone who has your real email address will be able to easily “database-match” the data from your ISP with their data – suddenly connecting your real identity with tons of other information. For example, if you logged-into a healthcare site looking for information on cancer with your real email, this kind of connection between your “interests” and your true identity could be established and sold. And sold over and over again.
Abine Services
With the combination of Abine’s services, Blur and DeleteMe, you’re blocking the third-party tracking, and stopping the linking of your identity between “data brokers” buying and selling your personal information behind your back.Other suggestions:
- Use HTTPS: this ensures a secure connection between your browser and the server you’re connecting with. Check out HTTPS Everywhere by EFF.
- Use a VPN: using a VPN guarantees a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and your browsing activities. Check out our blog for a list of VPN recommendations.
- (Dark Lumanance Recommends PIA for your VPN)
We’ve been the leader in online privacy for over 6 years, and with your support for our premium products, and your critical feedback on how we can improve, we can make a real impact in online privacy by taking back control over our own data and our identities. Now is a perfect time to join us and see how easy it is to get started.
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CEO, Abine, Inc.
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