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Internet Noise cycles through random websites to protest snooping ISPs

Internet Noise cycles through random websites to protest snooping ISPs

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This week, Congress voted to allow internet service providers to sell users’ web browsing histories, rolling back FCC rules passed under the Obama administration. Activists have already roundly criticized the vote as a win for a telecom industry eager to help sell targeted ads.

The tool sends random searches through a browser window

Built by technologist Dan Schultz, a tool called Internet Noise will send random searches through a browser window, introducing some chaos to the tracking and ad-profiling process. When I gave it a shot, I got information on a Massachusetts diner, a copy of an inscrutable scientific paper, a New York Times article from last year, and Google results for “skylight babies.”

As Schultz notes on the website for the tool, Internet Noise is a form of protest (and even a fun spin through weirder corners of the web), but it is emphatically not a way to shield your personal privacy on the internet. The website won’t be too disruptive to an advertising profile, especially if you’re still spending the majority of your time with your usual browsing habits.

But it is a clever way of bringing attention to the issue. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in a more effective approach, consider a VPN.