June 24, 2008 - MARKEY: Charter Right to Delay Use of NebuAd, Privacy Concerns Must Be Addressed
WASHINGTON –Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, today commended Charter Communications, the nation’s fourth-largest cable company, for their decision to delay plans to track the Web sites visited by their customers and disclose this sensitive the data to an ad firm.
Rep. Markey said,
"Given the serious privacy concerns raised by the sophisticated ad-serving
technology Charter Communications planned to test market, I am pleased to hear
that the company has decided to delay implementation of this program, which
electronically profiled individual consumer web usage. I urge other broadband
companies considering similar user profiling programs to similarly hold off on
implementation while these important privacy concerns can be addressed."
Last month, Rep.
Markey and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), Ranking
Member or the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, sent a letter
to Charter Communications expressing their serious
concerns about the company's plans. The two members later met with representatives
from Charter Communications to discuss their concerns.
