Who Can See My Internet Activity?
You’ve probably heard people joke about how you can delete your internet history. It’s true that your internet activity can be tracked by multiple parties, and your ISP will most likely be using it to block certain websites or store it for years. If you’re concerned about privacy, here are a few things you should know about your ISP’s practices.
ISPs collect data
Your ISP collects data about your Internet activity in several different ways. Some of this information is unencrypted and can be read by your ISP. Encrypted data is not as personal but can tell your ISP a lot about your Internet activity. In some cases, ISPs may share this information with other companies that offer the same services.
Data collected by ISPs is often used for advertising. In fact, three of the top six ISPs use data collected from web browsing to target advertising. They can also purchase demographic information from data brokers and combine it with other information about users. This information may include sensitive information. Some ISPs even combine information from other services to create detailed profiles of their customers.
Many ISPs use this information to promote certain services and to track users. In some countries, the information can be sold to third parties, such as the police. But in other countries, the data can remain with the ISP for a longer period of time. This means that ISPs are allowed to retain data about their customers for up to twelve months.
In the UK, ISPs are legally required to track Internet activity. They must also share this information with the government. Some countries have passed laws requiring ISPs to store this data for crime prevention purposes. But there is very little oversight, especially in countries where privacy and human rights are often violated. Furthermore, ISPs are known to throttle users who download a large amount of data.
Because the ISP owns the infrastructure that carries browsing data, it can access important information about its users. For example, it can track DNS queries and monitor traffic to unencrypted websites. In addition, it can collect data about websites visited and what you do on those websites. Furthermore, the data can be used for advertising, censorship, or government surveillance.
They share it with third parties
It’s important to review the privacy notice of the third-party applications you’re using. Each app may have a different set of terms and conditions. Read them carefully to ensure that they’re not collecting information you don’t authorize. For more information, see our article on analytics and reporting.
They block websites
The reason why they block websites is as simple as this: they contain harmful content. In fact, many cities and states have blocked access to specific websites for safety reasons. Many of these websites contain child pornography, and minors are able to contact older people they don’t know via email. Even jobs restrict access to these websites because of their potentially dangerous content. For example, in the mining industry, some websites are blocked to keep miners safe.
In addition, the Internet service providers have been able to block websites that could incite violence or harm others. In Russia, for example, schools have been forced to block websites related to illegal drugs, and those of extremist groups. The Internet service providers have been making it harder for schools to access these websites, and the prosecutor has been working to get this blocked.
In other countries, the prosecutor’s office has filed writs against the Internet service providers for blocking access to certain websites. In Chechnya, for example, the prosecutor’s office has served writs against ISPs Gumsnet and ChitaTechEnergo. They asked these companies to block access to websites that contain explosives. This case is also being pursued in Omsk, where the central district prosecutor has served a writ against ISP T-Service.
Another way to unblock websites is to use a URL shortener service. A URL shortener site generates a new URL that you can paste into your web browser. Alternatively, you can also use Google Translate to access websites that have been blocked.