Static IP address - privacy concerns

[rblon]

These days my home Internet connection has a static IP address. I have privacy concerns with that, as the likes of Google won't have any issue, through cross referencing, to create a very accurate profile corresponding to my ip address.

In general, when I walk into a brick-and-mortar store, the shopkeeper doesn't know all my details... However, it seems to me that with a static ip address, a "good" Internet store will know quite a lot about me.

My ISP does offer a proxy server. However, this doesn't fully mask my IP address.

Any thoughts about this issue?

[William9]

I don't know how less private a static IP address is. The dynamic IP address currently assigned to me by my ISP hasn't changed in a year.

[nbarr]

Originally Posted by William9

... The dynamic IP address currently assigned to me by my ISP hasn't changed in a year.

I think that's typical.
At least in my experience.
In the last 15 years I've had 2 ISP's, I only saw my IP address change roughly every 8 to 12 months.
Aside from making hardware changes like a new router etc.

The only way you could change your IP address on a more frequent and consciously chosen basis would be to use a Proxy and or VPN, at least that I'm aware of.

[janusz]

Originally Posted by rblon

However, it seems to me that with a static ip address, a "good" Internet store will know quite a lot about me.
[...]
Any thoughts about this issue?

In particular, this means that when I search for e.g. plumber or pizza shop I'll get names which are reasonably local, and not on another continent. So I'm all for it.

[Havokmon]

IMHO, it's entirely irrelevant. Any particular web site will have no idea whether or not you have a static or dynamic IP, and even if it is dynamic, they will have no idea when it changes. That's like worrying about Kohl's seeing you pull up in your Red SUV.

Dropping a session cookie would be the best way to track an individual's use of a particular web site. So it's like if you use your credit card at a brick and mortar store, they will have about the same amount of info the web site does. Well, assuming the brick and mortar doesn't participate in a rewards program which you are a part of. Then your credit card data is sent to a 3rd party so you can get those rewards, and I would assume each participating location could have access to your purchases at other participating locations....

[rblon]

I think the problem is cross-referencing. Websites use Google analytics, so Google (and other similar analytics providers) can build a detailed profile corresponding to an ip address. And sell that information.

Perhaps it is nice to find the local pizza restaurant when you search for pizza. But it becomes less nice when pricing gets tailor made to your profile.

[SusanUKF]

I am certainly no techie expert, but I remember reading that when you reset your modem/router, that it resets your IP address. If this is indeed correct. then perhaps reset it often? I have had to reset ours various times when the net connection was acting weird, or if one of our 6 computers we have online was having issues being connected to the internet (even when the other ones were functioning fine). This is just an idea, and I am not even 100 percent sure it is accurate. Perhaps one of our more technically advanced members can either support or refute this?

Susan

[janusz]

Originally Posted by rblon

Perhaps it is nice to find the local pizza restaurant when you search for pizza. But it becomes less nice when pricing gets tailor made to your profile.

Do you really think that when you call a plumber his fee won't depend on how your house & area look like? The rule"as much as the customer will bear" pre-dates the internet by hundreds of years

Originally Posted by SusanUKF

I remember reading that when you reset your modem/router, that it resets your IP address.

This is not a general rule, it depends on your provider. And how they set things up at their end.
My provider used to give me a new address after a reset until some 12 or 15 months ago. Since then, even after the modem is switched off for a week or so, the address is still the same.

[rblon]

Originally Posted by janusz

Do you really think that when you call a plumber his fee won't depend on how your house & area look like? The rule"as much as the customer will bear" pre-dates the internet by hundreds of years.

Indeed. And that is a good reason why I don't want websites to have my profile when I visit.

SusanUKF, modem reset may help when your ISP provides a dynamic IP address (which in practice seems static, as the connection is always on), but not if they provide a static IP address (which gets more common these days).

[drew]

SusanUKF, I don't know about Canada but here in Europe and
Sweden the law demand that the ISP keep record of what we do online.

whom we email and what sites we visit. For that to be practical
and less costly many ISP has gone for to try to always give same
IP even if them are assigned dynamically so they keep the last IP
you used for as long time they can and then give it back to you again.

that way despite us being dynamically assigned IP it only jumps
between two or three most used ones for each computer.
I trust them record what MAC-address one have on the hardware.

I have some 5 computers I can use but only four LAN on Router
so when I pull out one computer for to test a new Linux OS
with an old gear then they get confused so they need to give
that computer one of my old IP and they seems to not like that

They want me to use same computer and same ip all the time
for to be able to know that I am not a spy or anything bad.

A kind of 1984 scenario indeed. Total control over the citizens.

One guy joked about his Boss on the Facebook and the Boss
found out and sacked him. Such is the future of the internet.

[00hth]

I think the problem is cross-referencing. Websites use Google analytics, so Google (and other similar analytics providers) can build a detailed profile corresponding to an ip address.

[SusanUKF]

Interestingly enough, when someone sends an email from their cell phone or other mobile device, the IP always begins with a 10. I think it always does, I checked multiple emails I have had sent to me from various ones, and they always have 10 as the starting two digits.

The IP's that start that way are private ones, not traceable. I have had emails from my kids, and their friends sent to me, from their cell phones, and even though they are sent from different cities, and sometimes even from different countries, they all begin with 10.

[William9]

Originally Posted by SusanUKF

Interestingly enough, when someone sends an email from their cell phone or other mobile device, the IP always begins with a 10. I think it always does, I checked multiple emails I have had sent to me from various ones, and they always have 10 as the starting two digits.

The IP's that start that way are private ones, not traceable. I have had emails from my kids, and their friends sent to me, from their cell phones, and even though they are sent from different cities, and sometimes even from different countries, they all begin with 10.

Could this be simply your cell phone's service provider's IP address, not a special untraceable IP? Are you saying that an IP address starting with 10 is not traceable (such as 10.xxx.xxx.xxx)?

[janusz]

Originally Posted by William9

Are you saying that an IP address starting with 10 is not traceable (such as 10.xxx.xxx.xxx)?

There may be many identical 10.x.x.x addresses in existence, as long as they are on separate private networks.

[William9]

I now understand. Thanks for the information.