Security News > 2021 > October > FTC: ISPs collect and monetize far more user data than you’d think
The Federal Trade Commission found that the six largest internet service providers in the U.S. collect and share customers' personal data without providing them with info on how it's used or meaningful ways to control this process.
"Many internet service providers collect and share far more data about their customers than many consumers may expect-including access to all of their Internet traffic and real-time location data-while failing to offer consumers meaningful choices about how this data can be used," the FTC said.
"The report identified several troubling data collection practices among several of the ISPs, including that they combine data across product lines; combine personal, app usage, and web browsing data to target ads; place consumers into sensitive categories such as by race and sexual orientation; and share real-time location data with third-parties," the FTC said.
As the FTC further discovered, the ISPs amass huge pools of sensitive consumer data and use it in ways their customers do not expect and could cause them harm, primarily when classifying them by demographic characteristics, including race, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality.
Although many ISPs claim to offer consumers choices, the choices they provide are often a sham, at times nudging them toward even more data sharing.
"Even though several of the ISPs promise not to sell consumers personal data, they allow it to be used, transferred, and monetized by others and hide disclosures about such practices in fine print of their privacy policies," the FTC added.