Verizon Damming Error Traffic Upstream
Mel and Rob write:
Verizon is now in the typo redirect game.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/11/verizon_search.html
Quote: “”Although Verizon opposes net neutrality, it has also said repeatedly that it would not block content or favor its own offerings over rivals–although it now appears to be doing just that”"
***FS*** What’s funny is that Verizon has been at the forefront of litigating against domain registrants who take over typo domain names like VeriznPhones.com.. Most error-traffic is comprised of typo-variants of existing websites, so one could argue that Verizon has now become a typosquatter themselves, taking over inactive searches (non resolving urls) and selling advertising on the backs of these wayward visitors as it “helps” them navigate elsewhere. I can picture this whole thing coming to a head in the courts as companies like Marchex.com or IAC.com who own thousands or even tens of thousands of small sites have their rights violated daily by backbone providers diverting visitors intended for their sites to other ad sites. Big class-action clouds looming. This kind of unfair competition rarely stands for long. Too many stakeholders affected in too many ways. It certainly makes one question Verizon’s rights and obligations as a common-carrier . I am picturing lots of sprintphonebok.com misspellings going to Verizon parking pages and how that might make Sprint feel 
At the very least Verizon should have to make a tobacco-ad style disclosures to their customers (next to paid search results) that their Internet browsing experience has been diverted to advertising created by Verizon and that their customers accept this pseudo Internet experience as a term of service.
Opt-out here: http://netservices.verizon.net/portal/link/help/item?case=dns_assist&partner=verizon&product=fios
Doesn’t surprise me for a minute. Phone companies have been acting anti-competitively since the dawn of time. That is their modus-operandi. They have gotten away with it for so long in so many ways.
One has to understand the game plan for them. There is no such thing as a “finite decision” in any forum. They go from the FCC…to the state regulatory bodies….to the courts….to paying off Congress to pass laws for them. They just continue to go in a never ending circle until they get what they want. That little piece of advice you can take to the bank. They are strictly no good. This is just the latest in a long list of sleazy actions.
IF you think you are going to get any fair treatment from the FCC with them when they are playing golf with theses commissioners and having dinner in the finest DC restaurants every night….well….dream on.
I noticed it a few days ago (I’m in Los Angeles) and I’m pissed. I was on hold to Verizon tech support looking for some kind of opt out when I thought to pop over to 7Mile to look for a post to comment this to. What do you know! Thanks Frank. I hope we can generate some noise about this because I think you’re right–if they can get away with it, then so can everybody else and so begins the steady creep towards an Internet that is controlled by service providers. The original consumeraffairs.com article includes the opt out help link which is: http://netservices.verizon.net/portal/link/help/item?case=dns_assist&partner=verizon&product=fios
Another useful link might be to the OpenDNS project’s site https://www.opendns.com/start
Oops!
OpenDNS settings report: shoes.co auto corrects to shoes.com (bummer if you live in Columbia!), shoes.c takes you to an OpenDNS project landing page full of guess what? Ads to click on.
***FS*** Oh what a wobbled web we weave…
OpenDNS update. If you open a free account you CAN manage Typo Corrections and Typo Exceptions among other things such as blocking Adult sites. I’m back to the familiar Page Load Error message.
[…] Schilling comments on Verizon’s hijacking of mistyped domains: What’s funny is that Verizon has been at the forefront of litigating against domain registrants […]
[…] to domain names than it is to pursue an action related to ill-gotten error traffic taken via ISP or Browser. That will be a story for another day. If anything, this serves as a harbinger of […]