Verizon's Creepy Idea to Spy on TV Viewers

[+OverSword]

more proposed invasions of our privacy, this time for commercial gain.

from the article:

A couple snuggling in front of the TV could end up getting bombarded by commercials for romantic vacations, flowers or even condoms and birth control pills. That creepy invasion-of-privacy scenario comes from a Verizon patent idea that envisions spying on TV viewers for the sake of serving up related ads.

Verizon aims to track the behavior of TV watchers as they sing happy songs, play with a pet dog, or enjoy some supposedly private time with a loved one on the couch. The tracking system would then search terms related to the behaviors it sees — such as "cuddling" or "romance" — and present viewers with TV ads related to that topic during commercial breaks, according to the patent filing first discovered by FierceCable.

http://news.yahoo.com/verizons-creepy-idea-spy-tv-viewers-144322175.html

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Big Brother is watching, and he wants you to use a condom!

[Mr.United_Nations]

Big Brother is watching, and he wants you to use a condom!

OMG LOL!!! the more people hide, the more suspicious

[+DieChecker]

Hummm.... Looks like Mr TV is going to get his own room. His perch on the wall across from the bed is threatened.

[pallidin]

more proposed invasions of our privacy, this time for commercial gain.

from the article:

A couple snuggling in front of the TV could end up getting bombarded by commercials for romantic vacations, flowers or even condoms and birth control pills. That creepy invasion-of-privacy scenario comes from a Verizon patent idea that envisions spying on TV viewers for the sake of serving up related ads.

Verizon aims to track the behavior of TV watchers as they sing happy songs, play with a pet dog, or enjoy some supposedly private time with a loved one on the couch. The tracking system would then search terms related to the behaviors it sees — such as "cuddling" or "romance" — and present viewers with TV ads related to that topic during commercial breaks, according to the patent filing first discovered by FierceCable.

http://news.yahoo.com/verizons-creepy-idea-spy-tv-viewers-144322175.html

Well, that's been very prolific on the Internet for a couple years now.

Doesn't surprise me that it would port-over to TV. But, good post!