Am I mis-understanding this - BT/ Yahoo?

[Chris152]

My bt/ yahoo email homepage now appears with a banner blocking 1/5th of the page stating:
'We've updated our advertising partners and how we work with them...
By clicking 'OK', you agree to allow our partners to access your device to collect data, serve and measure personalised ads, and create interest profiles. Click 'Manage options' to view our partners and update your choices.'

Clicking 'more options' links to this:
'Verizon Media works with partners to bring you relevant ads and provide a better overall experience. These partners may access your device to collect data for ad and content selection, delivery, measurement and personalisation. You have the following choices about how these partners use your data. You can change your choices at any time by visiting the ‘Partners’ tab in our Privacy dashboard.
See how partners use your data. Show
See and customise which partners can use your data. Show'

I didn't go any further because it sounds absurd to me, maybe I'm being naive. Giving permission to access my device to collect data etc?! Is this harmless or is it as bad as it looks?

 

[sunnybob]

Its as bad as it looks.
we have all enjoyed almost free internet for many years, now theyre coming for the payback. you WILL get the ads, or you WONT access the site.

I'm finding many sites now that say "see our privacy notice" the notice in the small print says you havent got any.

The sign also says that by using this site you agree to your loss of privacy, theres no opt out button any more.

The only way around this is to use a VPN service for your browsing, but if your own browser is doing you in, then theres not much to be done.

 

[Chris152]

I think this was specifically that site, sb (tho I've no idea who verizon is) - and i just made the mistake of following the 'Show' options link, which led to lots of different companies, and pressed 'Done' to get out, and now the banner's disappeared - presumably 'done' is code for 'consent/ agree'?! I'm off to google VPN, no idea about that either.

 

[Dibs-h]

BT uses Yahoo for it's email services & so do a lot of others. Either re-branded or not.

 

[Chris152]

'Verizon Communications Inc. (About this soundlisten (help·info)) (/vəˈraɪzən/ və-RY-zən) is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.[8] The company is based at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan, New York City,[2] but is incorporated in Delaware.' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verizon_Communications

It's allowing them to 'access my device' that concerns me - I'm used to the idea that companies hoover up info i've put on the net, but this sounds very different. having very little understanding of these things, just checked my firewall's switched on, which it is, so hopefully people shouldn't be able to access the computer? God knows.

SB (having searched vpn) - seems to me we have three options: give in and hope for the best; dedicate an awful lot of time to understanding how it all works and act accordingly; chuck the lot in the bin and read a book.

 

[MikeG.]

I went through this precise thing with my wife's email account just a few days ago. It is possible to manually set almost all of the options to some variation on "no thanks", but it did take a bit of finding.........and then each one of the companies within the Verizon group had to be dealt with individually. It takes some time, but it's worth doing.

 

[sunnybob]

Because we live outside the Uk zone, we had to use a VPN to get UK tv, so were fully up to speed with those.
Now we have a box that gives us unbelievable choices without using a VPN. i suspect its not completely kosher.

When I come across those "privacy notice" sites, I just leave. I dont need that info that badly.
I have windows defender, which weirdly enough, allows all of microsofts business buddies to access me :roll: . But I have removed them all from my "white list" (another term you need to get to know)
I also use malware and adaware. That upsets some sites including this one, but the only alternative is to white list it which leaves me open to anyone who has hacked this site, so it stays on.
Something like utube will show me having blocked 20 or more adverts each time I visit. I also have my internet security set on medium high and my computer to ask for permission before running any programmes.
I do what I can for as long as I can, but its a losing battle. :roll:

 

[Trainee neophyte]

We just had this conversation in another thread: if you sign up to a "free" email account with Gmail or BT or anyone else, you are the profit centre for the company. They expend a lot of resources and time providing you with your free account, so why do it? Simply because you are worth a lot of money to them. They will automatically read every email you send, and every email you receive. They will build up a map of all the people you interact with, and how you interconnect. They will also happily hand all of this information over to any advertising company or government who requests it, almost certainly without informing you that they have done it. They will also have (probably) your entire browsing history, and if you have an Alexa, Siri or Google assistant listening in inside your house, who knows what they are hearing, recording and sending on to...who knows? Oh, and it's not just a computer server somewhere listening in to your recordings - they have humans, too - helping to make these things more accurate. Apparently these people get to hear all sorts of strange, random snippets of conversation, domestic abuse, bedroom "activity" etc. What a fun job. Allegedly, this is all private, and that must be true because Amazon and Google and Microsoft tell us it is true. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-styl ... 65056.html

You have to assume that every single thing you do on the internet is seen, recorded, analysed, monetised and used to craft specific advertising, just for you. Everything. Even those things you look at in "private" browser pages when the wife is out. Especially those things

Just wait until Alexa has a camera in your bedroom!
https://www.wired.com/review/review-amazon-echo-spot/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... nversation

If it's free, YOU are the product. You could always pay for a domain and have your own email server - costs about £20 a year, all in. What price privacy?

 

[sunnybob]

Way back when... There was system that was uncrackable.
Check out PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) and see what happened. :shock: 8)

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Because we live outside the Uk zone, we had to use a VPN to get UK tv, so were fully up to speed with those.
Now we have a box that gives us unbelievable choices without using a VPN. i suspect its not completely kosher.

When I come across those "privacy notice" sites, I just leave. I dont need that info that badly.
I have windows defender, which weirdly enough, allows all of microsofts business buddies to access me :roll: . But I have removed them all from my "white list" (another term you need to get to know)
I also use malware and adaware. That upsets some sites including this one, but the only alternative is to white list it which leaves me open to anyone who has hacked this site, so it stays on.
Something like utube will show me having blocked 20 or more adverts each time I visit. I also have my internet security set on medium high and my computer to ask for permission before running any programmes.
I do what I can for as long as I can, but its a losing battle. :roll:

Bob - you are using windows vista. It's a bit like you going into a brothel with a 20 year old condom, and being fully confident that you have complete protection from everything unpleasant that might come your way. Yes, you have taken some steps to protect yourself, but how confident should you be?

Windows Vista is an operating system that was produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs and media center PCs. Development was completed on November 8, 2006

 

[Chris152]

I think I'm going to have to follow Mike's suggestion and decline each company they link to in turn, but now the banner's stopped coming up (presumably because 'done' does mean 'accept') I can't find the link.

Maybe someone can clarify - does allowing 'access to my device' mean they can get to my hard drive? That's what it means to me, seems incredibly intrusive? If a person's involved in 'reading' the drivel I write most days (obvs not on UKW...) i feel for them. I wonder if they're reading this now.

 

[novocaine]

1. Vpn. Sell your data through an intermediary and pay them for the privilege. The only (and i do mean only) reason to have vpn is to spoof a different location to a server and get region restricted content. And guess what, the server could still figure out where you are, if it needed too.
2. No one is reading your emails, text, listening to what you say. Sorry but you simply arent that interesting in a sea of billions of fish, you are plankton. What is happening is an algorithm that no one actually understands because no one wrote it is looking at your data,putting you a box with billions of other plankton and occasionally opening the box and chucking in a load of adverts for you to eat.
3. Your data is already compromised. If you think it isnt you don't understand where the hole is.

You are ****** already
Sign up for it. It makes absolutely no difference in the long run. Those fat cats arent now cashing in, they already have, now they just need to tell you they have. Gdpr was an interesting legislation. Net neutrality is a ******* curse.

Have a nice evening folks.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Novocaine put it better than I did. You are already compromised. The only way to have internet security is to not use the internet.

But really, why give them everything you have on a platter? At least make them work for it.

 

[worn thumbs]

It is bad and it is almost impossible to opt out of.It used to be just about possible and I did it.Then came the latest "improvements" and it has become totally impossible to opt out as even trying will lead you to a page where nothing can be opted out of because an error message appears telling you to start again.Yahoo stinks and is full of the worst sort of clickbait and I think BT should be ashamed of associating with such an outfit.Maybe a move to outlook.com would be less bad.

 

[RogerS]

We just had this conversation in another thread: if you sign up to a "free" email account with Gmail or BT or anyone else, you are the profit centre for the company. They expend a lot of resources and time providing you with your free account, so why do it? Simply because you are worth a lot of money to them. They will automatically read every email you send, and every email you receive. They will build up a map of all the people you interact with, and how you interconnect. They will also happily hand all of this information over to any advertising company or government who requests it, almost certainly without informing you that they have done it. They will also have (probably) your entire browsing history, and if you have an Alexa, Siri or Google assistant listening in inside your house, who knows what they are hearing, recording and sending on to...who knows? Oh, and it's not just a computer server somewhere listening in to your recordings - they have humans, too - helping to make these things more accurate. Apparently these people get to hear all sorts of strange, random snippets of conversation, domestic abuse, bedroom "activity" etc. What a fun job. Allegedly, this is all private, and that must be true because Amazon and Google and Microsoft tell us it is true. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-styl ... 65056.html

You have to assume that every single thing you do on the internet is seen, recorded, analysed, monetised and used to craft specific advertising, just for you. Everything. Even those things you look at in "private" browser pages when the wife is out. Especially those things

Just wait until Alexa has a camera in your bedroom!
https://www.wired.com/review/review-amazon-echo-spot/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... nversation

If it's free, YOU are the product. You could always pay for a domain and have your own email server - costs about £20 a year, all in. What price privacy?

Three letters ...TOR..Job done.

 

[RogerS]

1. Vpn. Sell your data through an intermediary and pay them for the privilege. The only (and i do mean only) reason to have vpn is to spoof a different location to a server and get region restricted content. And guess what, the server could still figure out where you are, if it needed too.
2. No one is reading your emails, text, listening to what you say. Sorry but you simply arent that interesting in a sea of billions of fish, you are plankton. What is happening is an algorithm that no one actually understands because no one wrote it is looking at your data,putting you a box with billions of other plankton and occasionally opening the box and chucking in a load of adverts for you to eat.
3. Your data is already compromised. If you think it isnt you don't understand where the hole is.

You are cabbage already
Sign up for it. It makes absolutely no difference in the long run. Those fat cats arent now cashing in, they already have, now they just need to tell you they have. Gdpr was an interesting legislation. Net neutrality is a pineapple curse.

Have a nice evening folks.

Spot on. =D>

 

[RogerS]

Novocaine put it better than I did. You are already compromised. The only way to have internet security is to not use the internet.

But really, why give them everything you have on a platter? At least make them work for it.

Seriously though...it's a trade off, isn't it ?

 

[RogerS]

It is bad and it is almost impossible to opt out of.It used to be just about possible and I did it.Then came the latest "improvements" and it has become totally impossible to opt out as even trying will lead you to a page where nothing can be opted out of because an error message appears telling you to start again.Yahoo stinks and is full of the worst sort of clickbait and I think BT should be ashamed of associating with such an outfit.Maybe a move to outlook.com would be less bad.

I utterly detest Yahoo...as evidenced by my latest username and password. "...you" comes into the equation somewhere

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Seriously though...it's a trade off, isn't it ?

Of course,as long as you understand that a trade is taking place, every time you connect to the internet. Your data for their services. Check out the number of aps that send data to Amazon and Google - virtually all of them, by default!

I still use the internet, but I feel slightly violated every time. So many people have no idea, or blithely go through life with the "I have nothing to hide,so why should I care?" approach. My wife, for one.

 

[Chris152]

I'm still not clear - what does giving them permission to 'access my device' actually mean - does it mean they can remotely go into my hard drive and take stuff? I know that's technically possible but is that what they're saying?