Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has a complete view of your online activities. Every website you visit, every search query you make, every video you watch—they see it all. And in 2026, they're monetizing this data more aggressively than ever before.
What Changed in 2026?
Recent regulatory rollbacks have emboldened ISPs to expand their data collection and sales practices:
- Opt-out became opt-in: Many ISPs now automatically enroll users in data sharing programs
- Granular tracking: Advanced DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) technology provides detailed behavioral profiles
- Real-time bidding: Your browsing data is auctioned in milliseconds to advertisers
- Cross-device tracking: ISPs correlate activity across all devices on your network
What Data Do ISPs Collect?
ISPs have access to an unprecedented amount of your personal information:
1. Browsing History
- Every website domain you visit
- Time and duration of visits
- Frequency of access to specific sites
- Navigation patterns across the web
2. DNS Queries
- All website lookups, even if you don't visit them
- App connections and API calls
- IoT device communications
3. Metadata
- Your location and IP address
- Device information and operating system
- Browser and app usage patterns
- Data usage volumes and timing
Who Buys This Data?
Your ISP sells your browsing data to a wide range of buyers:
Advertisers & Marketing Firms
Create detailed behavioral profiles for targeted advertising across platforms.
Data Brokers
Aggregate ISP data with other sources to build comprehensive consumer profiles sold to thousands of companies.
Financial Institutions
Assess creditworthiness and risk based on browsing patterns and online purchases.
Insurance Companies
Adjust premiums based on inferred health conditions from medical searches and fitness site visits.
Employers
Some purchase data to monitor employee productivity and off-hours activities.
The $200 Billion Industry
ISP data sales have grown into a massive industry:
- Average value: $20-50 per user per year
- Global market size: Over $200 billion annually
- Major ISPs earn 15-25% of revenue from data monetization
- Data broker ecosystem involves thousands of companies
Real-World Impact
This isn't just about ads. ISP data sales have serious consequences:
- Job discrimination: Applicants denied positions based on browsing patterns suggesting health issues
- Price discrimination: E-commerce sites charging different prices based on ISP-provided browsing history
- Insurance denials: Health and life insurance applications rejected based on medical website visits
- Predatory targeting: Vulnerable individuals targeted with scams based on browsing behavior
Can You Opt Out?
Theoretically yes, practically difficult:
Official Opt-Out Methods
- Buried in account settings across multiple pages
- Requires calling customer service in some cases
- Often resets after account changes or moves
- Limited to certain types of data sharing
The Problem
Even after opting out:
- ISPs may still collect data for "operational purposes"
- Aggregated data (harder to attribute to you) may still be sold
- No way to verify compliance
- Opt-out doesn't delete previously collected data
How VPNs Protect You
A VPN encrypts all traffic between your device and the VPN server, making it unreadable to your ISP:
What Your ISP Sees With a VPN
- You're connected to a VPN server (IP address)
- Volume of encrypted data transferred
- Connection timestamps
- That's it—no website visits, no browsing patterns
What Your ISP Cannot See
- Websites you visit (domain names hidden)
- Page content or form submissions
- Search queries
- Video streaming choices
- App communications
Additional Protection Methods
Beyond VPNs, consider these privacy measures:
1. Encrypted DNS
Use DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) or DNS-over-TLS (DoT) to prevent ISP DNS snooping. Services like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Quad9 (9.9.9.9) provide encrypted DNS.
2. HTTPS Everywhere
Browser extension ensuring encrypted connections to websites (though ISP still sees domain names without VPN).
3. Tor Browser
For maximum anonymity on critical browsing (slower but highly private).
4. Privacy-Focused ISPs
Some smaller ISPs commit to not selling user data, though availability is limited.
Legislative Landscape
Privacy regulations vary dramatically by jurisdiction:
Strong Privacy Protection
- GDPR (EU): Requires explicit consent, right to deletion, data portability
- CCPA (California): Opt-out rights, disclosure requirements
Weak or No Protection
- US (Federal): No comprehensive privacy law; ISPs can freely sell data in most states
- Many countries: Minimal regulation allows unrestricted data monetization
The Future: What to Expect
Trends suggest ISP data collection will intensify:
- AI-powered profiling: Machine learning creates eerily accurate behavioral predictions
- 5G tracking: Higher precision location tracking with 5G infrastructure
- IoT exploitation: Smart home devices providing continuous behavioral data
- Regulatory battles: Ongoing fights between privacy advocates and ISP lobbying efforts
Take Action Today
Protect yourself from ISP surveillance:
- Enable a VPN on all devices
- Switch to encrypted DNS providers
- Review and opt-out of ISP data sharing (check account settings)
- Use privacy-focused browsers and extensions
- Consider your ISP's privacy policy when choosing providers
- Support privacy legislation in your jurisdiction
Conclusion
ISPs occupy a unique position of power—they control the gateway to the internet and can see everything passing through. Without protection, your entire digital life becomes a commodity sold to the highest bidder.
While regulatory solutions are slow and incomplete, encryption technology provides immediate protection. A VPN transforms your ISP from an invasive data broker into a mere packet courier, unable to monetize what they cannot see.
Your privacy is valuable. Don't let your ISP profit from it without your knowledge.