Can the Wifi provider see your browsing history?
Do you spend a lot of time browsing different websites on the internet? If yes, you should be concerned about online security. Your wifi provider can easily see your browsing history. They can tell the sites that you visit frequently.
Certain factors can determine the ability of the wifi provider to check what you do online. Some of the main factors that determine this include the type of router you are using for your wireless connection, how SSL/ TLS certificate is implemented on the sites that you visit and the presence of a VPN connection. Here is more!
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Find out what your wifi provider can see
The browsing history is not the only thing that the wifi provider can see. They can even tell the exact period you often connect to the internet, how much time you spend online, and the specific duration you spend on each site. Your wifi provider can also see the precise URLs you visit on a particular site.
The wifi provider only needs the right tools to monitor most of your online activities. If, for instance, you visit a site that is not well encrypted, the wifi provider can use a packet sniffer to make sense of different data types, including login, personal profile, and password. One of the packet sniffing tools that wifi providers commonly use to intercept private data is Wireshark.
If you visit sites that have URLs like this https://, your wifi provider may not be able to see the specific contents of web pages since the traffic, in this case, is encrypted. Despite this, they can still look at your browsing history. HTTP:// and HTTPs:// are two different transfer protocols that web browsers and websites use to send data packets over the internet.
HTTPs is the advanced version that is more secure than HTTP. The two protocols differ in that HTTPs implements an SSL certificate while HTTP does not. SSL certificate is a security technology that facilitates secure communication between a server and a web browser. If you visit a webpage on an HTTPs site, all the data that passes through the site is encrypted. This prevents the wifi provider from seeing the specific pages that you open on the website.
While some people access the internet from computers and laptops, others prefer surfing through their phones. If you use a phone, the wifi provider can still see how you browse. Apart from browsing history, the wifi provider can also see the specific apps you prefer using, IP addresses and unencrypted data.
They can also monitor text messages, call logs, and voice messages. The wifi provider can also tell the specific device you are using to access the internet and even your geographical location. You can, however, prevent all this by using a virtual private network.
Why does the wifi provider track your online activity?
Many internet users assume that wifi providers monitor their online activities to provide the services they need. This is not always true since the wifi provider can use this information in other ways. Sometimes, wifi providers track our online activity to abide by data retention laws. In certain countries, ISPs have to track and record specific data about users. Defying data retention laws can lead to problems with the government in such regions.
The wifi provider has to record things such as the specific websites you visit, your search location, emails, account credentials, messages, and even operating systems. Such information can help the government in different ways, such as during an anti-terror initiative.
Apart from that, the wifi provider can monitor your browsing history for advertising purposes. They make deals with different advertisers to collect data on their behalf in exchange for money. Once the wifi provider keeps track of your online activities, it can share this information with the advertising company.
The company will have all the information it needs to advertise products or services that you may require. For instance, it may know things about your health, sexual preferences, and even marital status based on your browsing habits. The company will then target you with useful ads on the web pages that you frequently visit.
Governments of individual countries also restrict access to particular web pages for different reasons. If, for instance, a particular website incites hatred or encourages illegal activities, it could be blocked in a particular region. The government may use a wifi provider to enforce censorship. Since your wifi provider can easily see the specific websites you visit, they can choose to block access to specific sites as directed by the government.
A summary of what your wifi provider can see as you use wifi
When using wifi from a computer |
· The ISP can tell when you connect to the internet.
· How much times you spend on specific sites · The particular URLs you visit · Destination IP addresses |
When you access the internet from your phone |
· The ISP can see your browsing history.
· The apps you frequently use · They can also monitor your call logs and text messages. |
Conclusion
Though the internet has a lot of advantages, it is not always a secure platform. This is an open technology that is flawed. Your wifi provider can see your browsing history and even tell the specific sites you visit frequently. Sometimes, ISPs use this information to make deals with advertisers or share it with the government to help them with certain initiatives. You should think of ways to protect yourself as you use the internet to avoid your details from falling into the wrong hands.
FAQs
How can I tell the data that my wifi provider is tracking?
The information that wifi providers collect vary. You can learn the information that your wifi provider tracks by checking the privacy policy and terms of service.
Is there a way to prevent the wifi provider from seeing my browsing history?
Yes. You can either use the Tor Browser or VPN to hide your browsing history when using wifi.
