With all of the recent attention on net neutrality, people might have missed this gem. The Internet Service providers like Comcast and Charter are not the only ones taking liberties with Internet users. Many popular websites are using keyloggers to see everything you type while you are on their website.
A new study by Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy finds that hundreds of sites (including Godaddy, Microsoft, Walgreens, and Adobe) use what they call "session replay scripts" on their websites that record everything visitors type, where they move their mouse, and their scrolling behavior while they do it, even if the user deletes what they just typed and never hit submit it can be recorded. These sessions can then be replayed.
It doesn't matter whether you get Internet service in your area from Comcast, Charter or Cox, it is the websites that are eavesdropping on you in this case.
This "service" is provided by third party software vendors like SessionCam, FullStory, Smartlook, UserReplay, and HotJar and can record unencrypted information like social security numbers, security codes, health conditions and other sensitive data without the user even being aware. “Do not track” settings on browsers and even ad-blocking software didn't do a lot to prevent the sessions from being recorded and replayed.
This just goes to show it is not just the local Internet service providers like Comcast and Charter we need to worry about.
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