[nmglug] Tinfoil hat time again: more Comcast paranoia

[Leopoldo Macias]

I'm not surprised that comcast (or any ISP) is selling data (which I 
know happens without any opt-in). This is why I purchased a vpn to 
connect to anytime I turn on my devices (desktop, laptop, cell phones, 
etc..). Personally I use nordvpn (they had a sale for a 3yr purchase). 
But there are many many many options for VPNs out there. NordVPN like 
other vpn providers will create a tunnel from your home to their servers 
and encrypt the data multiple time and guarantee no cache is saved on 
their servers (you can read more about that on any VPN provider site). 
It is impossible for them to pull any data concerning your traffic or 
searches (assuming using private browsing) even if court ordered.

Long story but basically if you want privacy, purchasing a VPN provider 
(or creating one) is a must to ensure your data is not being tracked.

My two cents.


On 7/31/20 5:51 PM, Tom Ashcraft wrote:
> I think this is not coincidence and should probably make everyone on 
> nmglug at lists.nmglug.org angry.
>
> Today through my Comcast email account I received a couple emails re 
> Kingston DTL+ USB via the nmglug listserv.  That's fine.  I LIKE email 
> from nmglug.
>
> What I definitely DON'T like is getting this associated email as a 
> consequence:
>
>     From:  news at e.benidata.com  (arrived 3:02 pm today)
>
>     Subject:  ⚡See Today's Deal of the Day -- Act Fast!  $4.95 
> Kingston 16GB Micro     SD Class 10
>
> The operative common term being 'Kingston'.  Out of the blue. Three in 
> one day.  Out a total of six emails for the day.
>
> I have never had any known relationship with benidata.com and I would 
> certainly have deliberately and promptly declined to receive any sales 
> or marketing information from them if I did.  And of course I did 
> promptly unsubscribe for further emails from them though I had never 
> knowingly subscribed in the first place.
>
> I use only DuckDuckGo for searching.  I have Firefox locked down with 
> privacy Addons every which way from Sunday.  DoH network setting, 
> strict tracking protection settings, NoScript, Ublock Origin, HTTPS 
> Everywhere, Privacy Badger, Decentraleyes, Facebook Container--I don't 
> even use Facebook, it's there just in case I change my mind!
>
> I virtually never see or hear any adds that aren't embedded directly 
> in streaming podcast or YouTube content (can't figure out how to get 
> rid of that except not to stream.)
>
> Almost all of my few online purchases come through eBay and Amazon 
> whom I haven't dealt with for more than a month.  No storage media for 
> more than a year.  Almost all my emails are personal or related to 
> specific non-commercially oriented subject matter from people or 
> groups who are not commercial entities.
>
> A couple of years ago when I got rid of our Comcast 
> wifi-cable-modem-router I went through all the contractual crap and 
> opted out everything related to marketing that we still might be 
> exposed to that I could find.  Set up the new purchased 
> wifi-cable-modem-router for Cloudflare DNS.
>
> Yet some months ago when I searched around for products related to 
> solar panels, shortly thereafter Xfinity sends me email adds trying to 
> sell me on their own branded rooftop PV electric scam.
>
> A couple weeks ago I was shopping for insurance.  First time in 
> years.  Suddenly Xfinity emails me and wants to sell me their own 
> branded BS home, pipes and appliance insurance because of the extra 
> strain Covid is placing on them.  Never had other adds for insurance 
> other than the most rare and minimal for services from carriers we 
> already had relationships with.
>
> Now I have this unsolicited add for Kingston storage devices.
>
> All too isolated as a class of events and too closely related in 
> subject matter and time to be purely random and unconnected.
>
> I think Comcast/Xfinity or some data-broker entity closely associated 
> with them is mining my email account pretty directly.
>
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