NebuAd Abandons DPI Scheme

Controversial Silicon Valley advertising startup NebuAd drops plan to sell deep packet inspection technology to Internet service providers after Congress and public interest groups slam privacy implications of deep packet inspection. NebuAd suffered through a summer of losing customers and congressional hearing before bailing on the plan that promised ISPs additional revenue sources.

According to the report, NebuAd uses special equipment that "monitors, intercepts and modifies the contents of Internet packets" as consumers go online. The report found that NebuAd inserts extra hidden code into users' Web browsers that was not sent by the Web site being visited.