Clearly bad news… but it's not just the Americans who suffer this kind of thing. Three of our very own ISPs, BT Broadband, Virgin Media and Talk Talk, have all signed up to this new 1984-ternet.
It's called "Webwise", a new technology created by former spyware makers Phorm. Webwise listens in on your broadband connection, and logs all of your browsing habits. And the point? Adverts. They can be directed straight down the phone line and into your internet browser, and tailored to match your behaviour on the web.
Clearly this is a massive breach of users' privacy, but the real news is that BT have already been testing Webwise on its customers… without their knowledge! It's a modern cold war nightmare. Also, you can't control it: no firewall, pop-up blocker or browser can reach along your BT landline, from where Webwise sits and watches all times.
Up to now, it's not technically illegal. Or is it? Well… in Britain, we haven't made our minds up about whether the Webwise technology should be legal or not: after all, it's a "robot" doing the watching, not a person. See, the issue is new, and the laws aren't written yet. Companies like Phorm and BT are setting the precedent, though, and very few people are really challenging them.
Plus, cha-ching! Think of the economic growth! People get profiled, browsing patterns become big profits. ISPs can't believe their luck: they're about to cash in on all those expensive "unlimited broadband" deals! New laws are being written as we speak to protect an ISP's right to snoop, and everyone wants to get in on it.
And if that doesn't work, there's always the good old "public safety" issue to fall back on. We don't appear to mind too much when our civil liberties being eroded, as long as it's in the name of keeping the bad guys fenced in. After all, we've already decided to protect ourselves from music and porn, and I bet you didn't even know that!
