Is Big Brother watching YOU?!

[Scott Greczkowski]

Is big brother watching you? Thats a question we asked this morning to Dish Network, and as of press time we have not received an answer to.

Why would we think that Dish Network could be spying on us? The answer comes to us from the weekly DNS Update, which is a document emailed each week to DNS employees. (DNS is Dish Networks installation company)

In this weeks issue it lists an interesting update:

3. ITV App. Targeting Updates:

Viewer measurement: 25% targeting 522/625, 301D, 301E, 10% 311 Wed. 3/7

This means this week the 522/625, 201D, 301E and 10% of all 311's could have this "Viewer measurement" software installed on their receiver.

The big unanswered question is what are they measuring?

Is it something simple such as meauring how much time their receivers run before they need a reboot, or is it something more such as keeping track of all the programs and channels that you watch.

If it is the second the next big question is, how are they using this data? Is it for internal Echostar use only or is Dish selling this information to other companies?

If I had to guess I would say that any information collected would not be personally identifiable to me or my account. You might ask why I would think this to be the case, so I point you to Echostar Privacy Notice:

http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/about_us/privacy_notice/index.shtml

The Communications Act prohibits us from disclosing personally identifiable information concerning any subscriber for any purposes other than those listed above without the subscriber's prior written or electronic consent. We may disclose personally identifiable information as provided for in the Communications Act when it is necessary to render, or conduct a legitimate business activity related to the satellite television service we provide to you. Generally, these disclosures involve billing and collections, administration, surveys, marketing, service delivery and customization, maintenance and operations, and fraud prevention. We may also collect, use, and disclose information about you in non-personally identifiable or aggregate formats, such as ratings surveys and service usage and other statistical reports, which do not personally identify you, your particular viewing habits, or the nature of any transaction you have made over the satellite television system. The frequency of any disclosure of personally identifiable information varies in accordance with our business needs and activities.

So soon if your watching TV and the next day on the news you hear reports that millions of people replayed Janet Jacksons Nipple flash from the superbowl over and over again, you might just be one of those folks where they got this information from.

 

[Nebugeater]

So soon if your watching TV and the next day on the news you hear reports that millions of people replayed Janet Jacksons Nipple flash from the superbowl over and over again, you might just be one of those folks where they got this information from.

IF you are STILL watching THAT over and over you seriously need to get a hobby!!

 

[rcbridge]

How do they get the info from you, modem connected to the telephone line??

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

How do they get the info from you, modem connected to the telephone line??

Correct.

 

[cforrest]

Doesn't D* do the same thing with the interactive on the mix channels? Hit the red button and you see what everyone is watching in the eastern us (my home region), then you can go to national, etc! I was showing my mother it and I even said, kinda scary big brother is watching you. Seems E* is going to be doing the same. Tivo has been doing it as well, if I recall for a while now.

 

[VinceT3]

talk about a good reason to pay the 5 bux to not use the phone line..

 

[navychop]

IF you are STILL watching THAT over and over you seriously need to get a hobby!!

Oh, I'd say he HAS a hobby. Needs a DIFFERENT one!

 

[Cyclone]

talk about a good reason to pay the 5 bux to not use the phone line..

I'd rather have the $5. Lets face it, the more TV you watch, the less of a life you have anyway.

 

[jcrash]

Come on, you seriously expect them to rollout something anywhere near the time they project to roll it out?

I wouldn't be too concerned with this on the projected date.

Actually, I personally don't care if they monitor me as long as it isn't personally identifiable.

You can bet your shorts that all IPTV you ever watch will be tracked and personally identifiable - they are already using full pipe recording on ISPs. That is something to be MUCH more concerned about.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Now they get to see how much porn im watching

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Come on, you seriously expect them to rollout something anywhere near the time they project to roll it out?

I wouldn't be too concerned with this on the projected date.

Actually they ARE rolling it out tommorow.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Actually they ARE rolling it out tommorow.

Oh sure, THAT'S released on schedule....

 

[RandallA]

Oh sure, THAT'S released on schedule....

Of course it's on schedule. It will probably bring more money to them by selling the info to marketing companies.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I guess that means that bug fixes, new features, and expanded HD channel offerings won't bring more money by increasing their market share...

 

[kstuart]

This thread is a fake.

The central aspect of "Big Brother watching" is personally identifiable.

What possible objection could there be to non-personally identifiable ??

 

[RandallA]

I guess that means that bug fixes, new features, and expanded HD channel offerings won't bring more money by increasing their market share...

That's not the way Dish Network people think. Might be the logical way of thinking but we all know they don't think logically.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

How do we know its not personally identifiable? When the receiver calls in I am sure it has to tell the server its receiver number.

Just because they say that its not does not mean it is.

Ok who wants a tin foil hat!

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Ok who wants a tin foil hat!

Remember, shiny side out!!

 

[RuralSatGuy]

Here's a novel thought. Maybe they are going to measure internal Diagnostics in order to help narrow down some reported bugs and problems. Everybody always talks about those cryptic readings in the Diagnostic menu. They are there for a reason - other than to confuse the users.

 

[Bear Paws]

Then again they just may use the info to get rid of the dozens of channels no body watches and improve the res on the popular ones because they will have more room? I got this bridge you see and ......