4 ms·

Are companies like Comcast or Verizon on this list? I honestly trust Google, Facebook, Apple and the like much more—I shutter to think of a world where big tech

Are companies like Comcast or Verizon on this list? I honestly trust Google, Facebook, Apple and the like much more—I shutter to think of a world where big tech is neutralized while companies like Comcast control content production, distribution, etc.

ravenstine 7y ago
I'd trust them more, but not "much" more. Perhaps Apple is the lesser offender.
shmerl 7y ago
Likely they paid off relevant parties to be excluded. That's why I don't believe objectiveness of that effort. They ignore elephants in the room. Even more probably, the whole thing is driven by those monopolists, for their own benefit.
ineedasername 7y ago
I think I view it as these companies simply all being very untrustworthy but in very different ways. I don't trust Google or Facebook with private data. I don't trust Comcast or Verizon to have transparent billing that doesn't run up against the edge of fraud. That sort of thing.
- ravenstine 7y ago
  Comcast has overlap with both since they thought it was acceptable to inject JavaScript into unencrypted HTTP responses. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15890551 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15890551
patientplatypus 7y ago
Story Time! So a few weeks ago I was in a bar with a manager/team lead at Comcast and he was telling me one of the fun "don't tell anyone" projects he was working on after I drank him under the table. Basically Comcast had teamed up with a bunch of cell phone companies so that they can cross reference your cell phone data with your television data. So for example, say you have the NFL game on. They can tell, using GPS how many people are in the room (by the cell phone GPS of you and all your buddies) and then use all the adware/spyware on your phones (this guy is into fly fishing, this guy buys diapers and watches MMA etc) to sell advertising to the group as opposed to the individual. Apparently it's about 70-80% accurate which is enough to charge advertisers based on impressions. Evil as it gets.
mastazi 7y ago
As a non-US resident, I offer you a different viewpoint: Comcast or Verizon don't have any market presence in the country where I live (AFAIK at least), but the other big tech firms that you mentioned have a lot of influence.

ravenstine 7y ago

I'd trust them more, but not "much" more. Perhaps Apple is the lesser offender.

shmerl 7y ago

Likely they paid off relevant parties to be excluded. That's why I don't believe objectiveness of that effort. They ignore elephants in the room. Even more probably, the whole thing is driven by those monopolists, for their own benefit.

ineedasername 7y ago

I think I view it as these companies simply all being very untrustworthy but in very different ways. I don't trust Google or Facebook with private data. I don't trust Comcast or Verizon to have transparent billing that doesn't run up against the edge of fraud. That sort of thing.

ravenstine 7y ago
Comcast has overlap with both since they thought it was acceptable to inject JavaScript into unencrypted HTTP responses. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15890551 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15890551

patientplatypus 7y ago

Story Time! So a few weeks ago I was in a bar with a manager/team lead at Comcast and he was telling me one of the fun "don't tell anyone" projects he was working on after I drank him under the table. Basically Comcast had teamed up with a bunch of cell phone companies so that they can cross reference your cell phone data with your television data. So for example, say you have the NFL game on. They can tell, using GPS how many people are in the room (by the cell phone GPS of you and all your buddies) and then use all the adware/spyware on your phones (this guy is into fly fishing, this guy buys diapers and watches MMA etc) to sell advertising to the group as opposed to the individual. Apparently it's about 70-80% accurate which is enough to charge advertisers based on impressions. Evil as it gets.

mastazi 7y ago

As a non-US resident, I offer you a different viewpoint: Comcast or Verizon don't have any market presence in the country where I live (AFAIK at least), but the other big tech firms that you mentioned have a lot of influence.