Cable website allowed anyone to see what you're watching (Canada)

[struggle4progress]

By JIM BRONSKILL
Saturday, January 14, 2006 Posted at 7:53 PM EST
Canadian Press

... But the Rogers Cable website has long allowed anyone with Internet access to find out which packages and specialty channels -- including several adult services -- the company's customers enjoy.

The ready access to such personal information is "completely appalling and unacceptable," said Anne-Marie Hayden, a spokeswoman for federal Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart.

The commissioner's office is looking at initiating a complaint into the matter, which would trigger an investigation under the national privacy law governing businesses, Ms. Hayden said ...

http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060114.wxprivacy14/BNStory/Technology/

[aclog]

1. Nice loophole

I can watch porn and claim it was only because I had to check up on what some other yutz was watching

[lvx35]

2. This is the richest debate of our time as far as I'm concerned

The role of privacy and corporations. Its the same thing with the selling of cell phone records, and I believe its deeply, deeply tied into the NSA/Verizon spy scandal. Corporations are now playing a major role in intelligence gathering, moving away from the idea of "intelligence agencies" into the idea of the "intelligence community" that also includes corporate actors. This was always true to some extent, but from what I am reading its now reaching unprecedented levels.