According to Associated Press, Comcast began recording each customer’s visit to web sites as part of its efforts to find ways of cutting costs and increasing the speed of the network. Proxy computers were used to store copies of the most popular web pages visited, which it identified by monitoring customer use. After public criticism, it agreed to stop the practice.
Goren argues that the practice, which continued for around 6 weeks, violated the Cable Act of 1984 which prohibits the collection of cable customers’ personal information without consent. He is representing Jeffrey Klimas, a Comcast customer. The claim seeks $100 per day for each day during which the practice continued or $1,000 per customer, whichever is higher – which, with all customers becoming involved, could result in a total figure of around $1 billion.
MacCentral reports that Comcast denies identifying individual users. Goren rejects this on the basis that an IP address is personally identifiable information.