

AT&T offers gigabit Internet discount in exchange for your Web history - em3rgent0rdr
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/12/att-offers-gigabit-internet-discount-in-exchange-for-your-web-history/

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jerf
There's a slight positive aspect to this, which is that if consumers start to
understand just how valuable this information is, they might start demanding
their cut. In this case, in the form of cheaper service. That would cause a
significant shift in the market as a whole; I wouldn't even try to do a full
analysis but it seems to me likely to result in an improvement.

In addition to the moral and social implications of widespread privacy
infringement that is the more typical line of HN argumentation, it's also
offensive and corrosive that this value is being plucked from you without you
having an opportunity to bargain like someone providing a valuable commodity,
rather than as a degrading "eyeball". Some people may find $360 a year a
worthy trade for their browser history.

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dictum
I'm afraid it would go the opposite way—everyone chooses the cheaper, less
private plans, then the company raises the prices and the ad-ridden plans
eventually start costing the same as the old neutral plans, while the neutral
plans (sold as "private" premium options) get premium prices - 5x what the ad-
ridden plans (and the old neutral plans) once cost, etc.

~~~
dwild
If they can do that then competition will appear and will offer it for less...
Nothing stop them from offering the current plan for 5x the price, except
potential competition.

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modeless
And this is why HTTP 2.0 needs mandatory end-to-end encryption.

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ihsw
Seems like a throwback to TV -- you pay for the service _and_ you get ads.

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untog
What if I take the discount, then spend that money on a VPN?

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wmf
A gigabit VPN?

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djchen
Yeah, thats doubtful but you can run your own on a VPS (OpenVPN and DD-WRT
router) and can push several hundred mbps no problem and probably closer to
500mbps; assuming the VPS is connected via gigabit.

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malandrew
This is exactly what I thought when I saw read this story. Just combine this
gigabit service with an Amazon EC2 reserve instance.

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wmf
Remember that EC2 charges $0.12/GB for data transfer so $30 only buys you 250
GB. I suppose if you used a spot micro instance and only sent not-already-
encrypted data through it you could save money.

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djchen
Linode, DigitalOcean, etc

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hamiltonkibbe
I'd be willing to sell swaths of encrypted VPN traffic and the IP address of a
data center in New Jersey for $29 a month

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x0054
It would be interesting to find out how they plan to implement the adds. If
the adds are inserted into the web pages, I would think that content providers
would have a good legal claim against AT&T for copyright infringement, if the
adds replace the already existing adds, then copyright infringement and loss
of profits.

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cmelbye
I don't think it's very realistic to consider them doing that. The backlash
would be immense, and there's no reason to do it in the first place.

All they have to do is work with existing ad networks. Then, when the user
hits a page (the page already has an ad on it) and the ad network determines
that the user is an AT&T subscriber, the ad is targeted using that data, and
AT&T gets a cut.

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mariusz79
There is an option to opt-out but if this thing is successful, in not too long
opt-out will not be available.

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HelloMcFly
I'm very curious where you see the ads. Is there some forced viewing before
browsing? Do they replace ads found on sites you normally visit? Will AdBlock
work on these AT&T-delivered ads?

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seiji
It's probably a back channel into existing evil ad networks.

Maybe like retargeting (just using existing ad space to show the same at 500
times a day), except all your private information will be logged at your ISP
then sent to the ad platform without your intervention.

The ad platform will end up with a mapping of: Your IP => {Your Search Terms,
Your Website Visits, Your Social Media Cohorts, Your Unencrypted Site Cookies,
...}

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lukifer
It wouldn't seem that difficult for nerds to game this. Randomized searches on
Amazon and Google run occasionally in the background, while all real traffic
passes through an encrypted VPN (the speed hit theoretically being negligible
over fiber).

Still, most users will probably just shrug and accept it as normal, much like
with Kindle "offers". Not exactly a positive trend-line.

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mephi5t0
It's cute. Whoever signs up for it will make money for AT&T on ads. Whoever
opts out will be closely watched by NSA because you know, you opt-out :)

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gcb1
30% off for your personal info... when the competitor price is free (also for
your personal info).

att really believes uverse tv will be that good of a differential competing
against free?

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jeffsilverman
It seems like they're testing out new pricing models - doubt this will stick.
BUT I applaud the use of testing in these situations! Pricing is sooo tuff.

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swalsh
Where are the ads? Are they just going to insert at the top of every webpage I
load?

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venomsnake
Can I target their users with ad for https everywhere?

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DerpDerpDerp
I'd rather pay the $29/mo more.

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msh
Payed for by your friendly NSA.

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bcRIPster
Conversation somewhere in Austin...

Billybob: Yo Jimbob! AT&T says they'll cut my bill $30 if I let them track my
Googly searches.

Jimbob: Well dang! Sign us both up Billybob. They're already spying on us
anyways, so let's get paid for it!

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bound008
This person has never been to austin.

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bcRIPster
Yeah, well, I lived in DFW for awhile and traveled around the state during
that time. Close enough for my comfort.

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jbigelow76
If you really had lived in DFW you would know we're more dignified here.
JimBob and BillyBob are far to informal, it's JimRobert and BillyRobert if you
please.

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scarecrowbob
Indeed, I am living near Austin and addressed by my cousins as John Robert,
thank you very much.

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bcRIPster
My Northern ears aren't delicate enough to have picked up on those semantics.
All I remember is Ya'll this and Ya'll that, cinnamon seasoned beans and rice
(from some place my dad loved to eat at in down town Dallas) and lots of beer
basted brisket.

For bonus points, I've seen Slacker. That should count for something.

