Industry giant Spectrum, an ISP in the United States, does track and retain for a certain amount of time Spectrum Customer Service browsing history. The following are the guiding questions: What do they do with this sensitive information about its users? How long does Spectrum retain this type of information? This information can assist consumers in making decisions regarding the use of internet services provided by Spectrum.
Well, let us turn to the second part of our question, which is: How long does Spectrum retain your browsing history? Currently, they retain a number of types of usage records as stated in their Privacy Policy, they maintain IP addresses, URLs visited, the rate and speed of data transmission, types of browsers used, dates and times of access and so on. Such data may be retained for up to two years and may be used to improve the credibility of the firm and its services to the customers.
Spectrum guarantees that your browsing history will no longer be stored on their end after two years. This data retention is quite similar to other large ISPs that hold customer data for about one to two years on average, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, etc.
Spectrum may or may not keep this data for a shorter time or even for an extended period depending on its reasons for collecting the information in the first place.
Internet providers like Spectrum maintain user browsing records for various business reasons.
- The facilitation of diagnosing connection problems and enhancing service.
- Network traffic observation and usage analysis
- For example, to detect hacking attempts and cyber threats.
- Recommending articles and products based on the user’s interests
- Delivering targeted advertising
- Adhering to legal regulations on the storage of data
Among these reasons, consumers are relatively more uncomfortable when browsing history is used for ads. Nevertheless, Spectrum also gives the users an option to block the advertisements that are personalized according to the history of the Internet usage, thus, excluding the Spectrum’s mining of the subscribers’ information for advertising. This information can usually be found in an account where one has registered and in the specific section that offers details on how one may opt out.
Can customers ask for deletion of internet history?
In general, federal law mandates that ISPs retain some customer data for a minimum period of one year. This means that even for the cases whereby the user demands that their browsing history logs be deleted, the ISP may not be able to meet this demand immediately. Spectrum has also stated that ‘deletion may not happen right away, and some data may remain on backup media for up to 7 years after a user has permanently deleted their account’.
However, as regards privacy, Spectrum does permit customers to opt for their internet browsing history and usage records to be wiped from the provider’s system. In case you desire to remove your data, you can reach Spectrum support directly to request that your information be deleted as soon as allowed by law once you close your Spectrum account. The company is usually reactive in regard to these individual requests and overall enables the customers to exercise more control over the sensitive, private information relating to their use of the internet.
Is there any circumstance where Spectrum shares internet histories with third parties?
Spectrum strongly prohibits the sale of personal customer information and only share this data with a third-party if it is necessary as stated in their privacy policy. If they are to release the usage information to outside companies or any other entities, that access is said to be restricted and secured under the most strict non-disclosure clauses.
However, Spectrum does specify that a user’s data can be disclosed or accessed when the company is compelled to do so by law, in situations like legal proceedings or valid legal demands, requests by governments, etc. Spectrum is also covered by some of NSA surveillance programs under the Patriot Act that specifically permits government scrutiny to Internet records for security concerns .
To summarize, the best way for consumers to protect their privacy is to avoid being part of the database to begin with.
If maintaining control over your browsing history is important to you as a Spectrum customer, there are a few key precautions you can take.
- It is wise to use a VPN when connected to the Internet in your home network. Internet providers may monitor and throttle your internet connection; however, VPN services like NordVPN or ExpressVPN can help hide your activity.
- For instance, allow Spectrum opt-out from personal advertising to limit the gathering of usage data for advertising purposes.
- Clean cookies and turn off trace options on all your browsers and all the devices that you use. This clears tracking whenever you close out of the browser.
- Encryption apps, private browsing like TOR or Duckduckgo should be used anytime increased privacy is needed.
Adhering to such guidelines as those stated above can assist the consumers in limiting the amount of data that could be collected by Spectrum, as well as the third party actors who are active on the internet. Learn types of the corporate data retention policies, use the available privacy settings and protect your browsing as much as you can when it is possible.
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