What we mean :  Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can, if they choose to, inspect every packet of data passing through its servers or inspection points.   A process known as deep packet inspection that you can read all about over at Wikipedia .  End users are typically okay with this process when the ISP admits doing so to prevent the spread of malware or harmful software potentially moving through its network to subscribers.  (Assuming the users even know this is happening.)  But what if after the ISP was finished inspecting for viruses it continued examining the header to see where you’re spending your browsing hours exploring the Internet?  All of a sudden Google Chrome’s incognito mode isn’t so private and secret —  your wife can’t see you’ve spent hours surfing porn, but someone else can — the ISP now knows which catalogs should be sent to your house, or at least they have the information available for marketing professionals to buy.

The ISP can profile all sorts of traffic information about its users and arrange it by whatever category the highest bidder is willing to pay.  You get the point.

Why it matters: It doesn’t.  It does.  No it doesn’t.  Yes it does.  "Hush a minute, will ya."  Market profiles across broad demographics are horrible, but having a bit of software that can craft unique profiles to each individual is wonderful. (Maybe "horrible" is too strong, but the former should definitely be considered a tool from your grandfather’s marketing toolkit.) And a basket full of accurately tailored profiles is worth a lot more to anyone aiming to make a load of cash by unloading bunch of crap.  So it goes.

At the same time, it’s privacy advocates who have a problem with profiling based on a user’s navigation habits.  Which is why it does matter.  Not because of the privacy advocates, but because subscribers are not paying to be monitored, they are paying to have internet service provided.

In the end: I’m not accusing any ISP of performing such immoral and possibly illegal activities as monitoring its users activity beyond what is "necessary to ensure the safety of its network and users."  But even if they are collecting all the data, I’m not saying it’s being sold to third-parties.  I’m not saying it’s being handed over to law enforcement agencies.  No, none of that big brother looking over your shoulder nonsense.  I’m not saying any of that. I’m not even saying I know anything about marketing or selling stuff.

All I’m saying is, it seems like a good idea to have advertisements presented to me that might actually impress me to let loose of my cash.  Not that it matters much, I’ll only buy a product endorsed by xkcd.com .

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Market Profiling Or Deep Packet Inspection was first posted to justinll.com on April 1, 2009.