Comcast has begun using JavaScript injection to serve ads for its services to devices connected to its publicly accessible Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the U.S. The ads are fleeting, but they can appear roughly every seven minutes. The program reportedly began months ago. “This practice is definitely concerning for multiple reasons,” said the Electronic Freedom Foundation’s Jeremy Gillula. “The injection could break a Web page — not to mention, it could also introduce unforeseen security vulnerabilities.”
Let's be clear. This is NOT a free service. You have to have a Comcast account to be able to use it. Cablevision and Time Warner have this as well and Cablevision (at least) has been injecting messages into the bottom of web pages for years.
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"Then again, if Comcast is providing this service for free, it's up to users to decide whether they want to use it or not."
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Comcast Ad Tinkering Could Muck Up WiFi Security
Posted by: Katherine Noyes September 10, 2014 10:47 AMComcast has begun using JavaScript injection to serve ads for its services to devices connected to its publicly accessible Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the U.S. The ads are fleeting, but they can appear roughly every seven minutes. The program reportedly began months ago. “This practice is definitely concerning for multiple reasons,” said the Electronic Freedom Foundation’s Jeremy Gillula. “The injection could break a Web page — not to mention, it could also introduce unforeseen security vulnerabilities.”
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"Then again, if Comcast is providing this service for free, it's up to users to decide whether they want to use it or not."