Comcast will now hijack your browser if it suspects you of piracy

[PeeKnuckle]

Comcast is already one of the worst companies in America, and now it wants to become one of the most annoying. 

 

As a part of the industry’s new “six-strikes” anti-piracy system, Comcast will hijack suspected pirates’ web browsers with a persistent pop-pop notification, preventing them from accessing the Internet until they change their ways. (Comcast calls it a “mitigation measure.”) 

 

Comcast says the browser hijacking will only go into effect after customers fail to respond to multiple previous Copyright Alerts like the one to the right. This means that no one should be surprised when Comcast cuts them off. 

 

“If a consumer fails to respond to several Copyright Alerts, Comcast will place a persistent alert in any web browser under that account until the account holder contacts Comcast’s Customer Security Assurance professionals to discuss and help resolve the matter,” Comcast says.

 

Read more, here.

 

 

[Floppy]

I wish I had a choice in ISPs but it's Comcast or DSL and Comcast is the only ISP that offers a "no cap" option

[PeeKnuckle]

I don't have a choice period if I want internet. Whatever happened to no monopolies?

[PeeKnuckle]

Here's a F.A.Q. about this

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/02/six-strikes-copyright-alert-system-faq

[Avahra]

Sigh

[PeeKnuckle]

Yep. We defeated SOPA, so companies like Comcast plotted with other like minded companies and we got this. Yay Democracy?

[MrsBadExample]

I knew this was coming eventually. Big companies will find their ways around that kind of crap to try and quash this sort of thing. The best part is, they don't care if you have unsecured wi-fi and someone else utilizes it for downloading (which DOES happen to some people who know nothing about computers / networking). 

[Twiztid Rose]

I guess I don't understand the problem. Whats the problem if you don't practice piracy?

[PeeKnuckle]

False positives for one. You're guilty until you can prove you're innocent.

 

They should not be able to make changes to your computer and that includes forcing a popup onto your screen. That's an invasion of privacy.

[Skylark95]

This whole mess just screams privacy concern...

I don't use the internet for anything illegal so as far as I'm concerned Comcast and other ISPs need to mind their own damn business...

[MrsBadExample]

What's funny, is that I would be dinged for downloading content I already own if I did it off of a torrenting site. It's legal for me to own the material, however they would deem it illegal due to it's source. 

 

We got a cease and desist over a download for Two Knotty Boys a while back that someone compiled into a giant ZIP file - which is hilarious, because their website says "PLEASE DISTRIBUTE AND GIVE TO EVERYONE IT'S FREE LOLOLOL"

[PeeKnuckle]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mpaas-chris-dodd-earns-24-425580

[Skylark95]

The MPAA and RIAA need to die a slow and painful death as far as I'm concerned. They are are the real theives.

For example with one 99 cent song on iTunes the artist only makes about 10 cents. Over 50 cents goes to just the label
Source: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/q-how-much-of-a-99/

[Dateranoth]

Yeah. Archaic money grubbers who don't want to get with the times.