Most of us know that Google and Facebook are tracking our every move online.
Even Netflix collects detailed information on our binge-viewing habits, the better to make decisions about which films to drop from its catalog or what new TV series to invest in.
But what if I told you there are companies that can go much deeper than firms like Google and Facebook in their data-gathering prowess?
Companies that not only know that you watch Netflix for two hours a day but also how long you spent reading this article before going back to Twitter and, at the same time, that you soon intend to go on a holiday because of all the time you spend browsing airfare sites?
Tech companies might enjoy access to a handful of these insights based on the data they gather when you visit their properties.
But telecom and cable companies are in a position to learn much more about you, policy analysts say.
That's because internet providers can see that you're listening to Spotify while watching Netflix and Googling for reality TV shows at the same time - whereas each of those sites might only capture a slice of your overall Internet habits.
And that gives internet providers a major potential advantage.
"An ISP has access to your full pipe and can see everything you do" online if you aren't taking extra steps to shield your activities, said Chris Hoofnagle, a law professor at the University of California Berkeley.
Other than corporate privacy policies, he said, nothing under current law prevents broadband companies from sharing information with marketers about what types of websites you visit.
With behavioural data becoming central to the internet economy, roughly 60 privacy and consumer groups are now calling on federal regulators to fast-track rules aimed at preventing internet providers from using that data unfairly.
Broadband companies have shown an increasing interest in consumer data.
As pressure rises to gather more data, consumer groups say the outcome could be a whole new rivalry between internet providers and tech companies as broadband firms try to replicate the business model behind Facebook and Google, or use their access to data to promote proprietary streaming apps to compete with Netflix.
"If they're monitoring your viewing habits and what kinds of things you like to watch, they can tailor particular services or offers to you," said Harold Feld, senior vice president of Public Knowledge.
"You might think, 'Okay, that's great,' except for two things - they're not necessarily just going to keep that information to themselves. They'll sell it to build profiles for advertising. But also, it is an enormous anti-competitive problem."
By leaping into the business of personal data, telecom and cable companies stand to compete with Silicon Valley's own tried-and-true path to success.
Armed with their expansive view over the entire web, internet providers may even be in a position to out-Facebook Facebook, or out-Google Google.
Broadband companies have begun seeking other ways to make money, realising that simply offering internet service is no longer enough in a media-saturated age.
Source: Washington Post
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