John Oliver Finds a ‘F*cking Creepy’ Way to Blackmail Congress Into Protecting Our Digital Data
John Oliver potentially found a way to get Congress to do something about those “oddly specific” targeted ads people often see while online.
Before getting to the main segment, Oliver said goodbye to WarnerMedia’s parent company AT&T, which sold its interest in the media conglomerate following its merger with Discovery.
Oliver, who had a rather contentious relationship with AT&T, bid adieu by holding both his middle fingers up.
The host then tackled digital data and data brokers, which are companies that collect one’s online information, package it, and sell it to any interested company or individual.
Some information is even sold in bundles, including some that are named, “Ambitious Singles,” “Couples With Clout,” and “Kids and Cabernet.”
“The entire economy of the internet right now is basically built on this practice,” he said. “All the free stuff that you take for granted online is only free because you are the product. They make money by selling your data.”
He went on to explain that Congress has been unwilling to act on the practice, in which a data broker could sell information on someone’s sexual preferences, physical ailments, or really anything to anyone interested.
In his natural fashion, Oliver then showed Congress “just how easy it is for anyone ― and I do mean anyone ― to get their personal information.”
The host pulled out an envelope with data he gathered in a “fucking creepy” way by targeting ads to a subset of individuals in the Capitol Hill area and using that data to figure out the identify several specific lawmakers and their search histories.
“If you’re thinking, ‘How on Earth is any of this legal?’ I totally agree with you. It shouldn’t be,” he said. “And if you happen to be a legislator who is feeling a little nervous right now about whether your information is in this envelope, and if you’re terrified about what I might do with it, you might want to channel that worry into making sure that I can’t do anything.”
“Anyway, sleep well!” he concluded.
Watch above via HBO.
