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ISP inserted adverts. Is anyone else getting these?

mikedt

mikedt

你好
VIP Member
Screen shot 2010-12-22 at 14.23.19.jpg
My ISP (China Unicom) sometimes inserts adverts into web pages while i'm browsing. This happens about twice a day. I've also seen the same adverts appearing on my Android phone when browsing via the same ISP. Has anyone else seen this happening with their ISP, or is something which is happening with China Unicom only?
 
I've also noticed a couple of other peculiarities about China Unicom.

(1) When I'm at my office using the school's internet, which is also China Unicom, there are no inserted adverts.

(2) In the screen-shot I posted there is a blank space in the AF website header. This is where 'Ads by Google' is supposed to be. When I view AF using the school internet, the 'Ads by Google' are appearing sometimes. They never appear when I'm at home.

My home internet is a domestic ADSL, but is paid for by the school. I've got a feeling China Unicom is using Phorm or something similar on domestic internet services. Phorm Inc :: Home Page

BTW in this city, China Unicom is the only ISP.
 
^^^^^^^

I do know that BT trialled something like this in the UK using Phorm.
BT admits misleading customers over Phorm experiments ? The Register
Obviously BT's customers where not happy about this.

What appears to be going on with my ISP, and what happened with BT. It's deep packet inspection and modifying, with the ISP's own ads been inserted into webpages along with Google ad blocking. Ad supported websites like AF will not be happy about this, as it robs them of potential ad revenue.
 
Ok let me explain something to you...here in the United States...we don't have to worry about the government looking in on us and making sure we're not looking at sites they don't approve of...we have these things called FREEDOMS...

So when two Americans say we don't have anything like that going....we don't have anything like that going.
 
jwp1223 said:
Ok let me explain something to you...here in the United States...we don't have to worry about the government looking in on us and making sure we're not looking at sites they don't approve of...we have these things called FREEDOMS...

So when two Americans say we don't have anything like that going....we don't have anything like that going.
Click to expand...

I have a few comments to make about supposed USA and internet 'freedoms'.

Phorm, Inc. who I believe is doing this ad inserting and Google ad blocking is a Delaware, USA based corporation.

I also keep on hearing about that the Department of Homeland Security is seizing and censoring bittorrent sites. U.S. Government Seizes BitTorrent Search Engine Domain and More | TorrentFreak

Then there is things like PATRIOT Act, wiretap laws, DMCA, DRM, FBI and NSA backdoors into secure encryption, etc.



"Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone"
 
Given the recent rocky history between Google and china, it's not surprising that Google ads are being blocked outside of academic institutions. The ad insertion is probably a compensatory measure to allow the ISP / PRC (is it still called Peoples' Republic? Or was it even ever called that?) to garner revenue. My guess is that whatever system they are using simply cannot cope with full HTML editing on the fly to obfuscate the Google ads and at the same time insert "local" advertising online, in place of the blocked advertising, so, out of doing the next best thing - displaying pop-up advertising.
 
^^^^^^^

Officially the country is still called the People's Republic of China. But to be honest it's more like China Incorported or China PLC. Depending on where you come from.

BTW besides the Google ad blocking, Google Market paid apps for Android are not distributed in mainland China, only the free ones are available here.
 
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