Right, but you’re talking about two distinctly different things. The ISP doesn’t own the websites you visit. They only have a record of your traffic. The individual websites that you visit can bust your privacy through 3rd party cookies, browser fingerprinting, cross-site tracking, and a bunch of other methods created to circumvent the user security features built into the browser. Nobody shares that information back to the ISP for free. The real issues are that huge companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook have scripts running on millions of websites, so they can track you everywhere you go. But they’re still just single companies. The linchpin is that they then sell that information to Big Data brokers like Cambridge Analytica, and Informatica. Those companies combine literally everything you do online, everything you submit, all your history, all your data points, and build these fully accurate pictures of you. You need to take proactive measures to prevent this sort of data harvesting that go well beyond a VPN. But your ISP doesn’t have these systems in place. So unless the ISP is buying your profile from Big Data, and then selling it to the NSA, having a VPN is enough to thwart your ISP, and the issue identified in the article. You still have to take a bunch of other precautions to prevent the larger issue if you truly want any anonymity, and they’ll probably figure you out anyways.
I enjoy them. They’re usually quite creative, and I’m constantly amazed at what the technology can accomplish. I frequently forget that I can turn to DALL-E when I want pictures of specific things, and those posts remind me.
ChatGPT is really good for these kinds of questions. Here’s what it said:
The movie you’re describing sounds like “Harsh Times” (2005), directed by David Ayer. It stars Christian Bale as Jim Davis, a troubled ex-soldier who gets involved in various criminal activities in Los Angeles. In one scene, Jim is approached by two gang members who rob him, leading to a series of violent events involving rival gangs. The film explores themes of crime, violence, and the challenges faced by veterans returning from war. “Harsh Times” is known for its gritty portrayal of street life in LA and intense performances, particularly by Bale.
Is it a good movie? It sounds good and Bale is always awesome in his roles.
My dad was a Hell’s Angel. I’m pretty sure I have a few siblings I’ve never met. I never actually even considered that until right now, and I’m surprised at the ease at which I arrived at certainty.