NebuAd and ISPs sued over privacy claims

PUNTERS who had their Web surfing habits tracked are suing the outfit that created the technology and six ISPs that used it.

The 15 customers want more than $5 million in damages and are asking a judge to turn the case into a class action against NebuAd.

The company developed a way for ISPs to scan the content of their customers' Web traffic so they could deliver advertisements specifically targeted to individual subscribers' interests.

The lawsuit, which accuses NebuAd and the ISPs of breaking federal and state privacy laws, said that the software was like a vacuum cleaner, everything passing through “the pipe of the consumers' Internet connection was sucked up, copied and forwarded”.

Several ISPs tried the technology before withdrawing as privacy advocates and members of Congress raised concerns over the summer.

The six ISPs also in the dock include Bresnan Communications, Cable One, CenturyTel, Embarq, WideOpenWest and Knology. All of them dropped the technology after the US senate started to ask difficult questions.

NebuAd spokeswoman Janet McGraw said the company would be fighting the case. µ

L'Inq
AP