How to Opt Out of Charter’s Internet Spying Program

Lucky San Luis Obispo! We have been selected as a test market for a new Charter Communications advertiser program that will employ technology that tracks and keeps records of everything their internet customers do on the internet. Isn’t that exciting. And in classic Orwellian-speak, they are calling it an “enhanced online experience.”

What will they use the tracking information for? Of course, to enhance your online experience, but more specifically they will use the data to provide more relevant ads to you. To be fair, this is not that out of the ordinary. Browser cookies from all sorts of popular sites like Google and Amazon track what you do while in their sites. And if you surf porn, they probably know your name, not to mention your kinks. But what makes this move from charter more invasive is that where these other sites merely track what you do on their sites, Charter will track what you do everywhere? It’s not to say that humans will ever look at this, or even care, instead to be used by computer algorithms to serve up ads, but it’s all there none-the-less.

If this bothers you, and I think it should, you can opt out of it by filling out the form at www.charter.com/onlineprivacy. However, if you do this, make sure you are allowing cookies, as counter-intuitively, you’ll need to let them install a cookie to override the probable cookie that is installed to track you. But pay attention to the details of the opt-out process:

The third-party opt-out process requires you to permit a cookie to be downloaded onto your computer so that the ad network can read your opt-out status in your cookie folder. Therefore, if you delete your cookies or cache files, use a different computer, buy a new computer, or use a different web browser from the one you are using at this time, you will have to opt-out again. It is also important to remember that opting out does not mean that you will no longer receive Internet advertisements, it simply means you will no longer receive ads that are tailored to your Web preferences, usage patterns and commercial interests.

Take note of the bolded sentence. You have to do thi, ISPs for every computer you use, for every browser you use (many people like me use both Firefox and Internet Explorer). And don’t forget that if you clear your cookies, which is often done by many privacy software products for you, or in the Tools section of either browser, you’ll have to do this again.

Glad I’m not on Charter.

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