Comcast eases opt-out for domain helper service
September 8, 2009
Responding to direct criticism of Comcast's new service for redirecting high speed internet users to a domain "helper" service when a user types an incorrect web address, the company has simplified the process for opting out of the service.
Called Domain Helper, the service sends users to a website that suggests possible domain names when someone inputs a non-existent address, for example - a bad address caused by a spelling error or typo.
"With the Domain Helper service we are testing now, we will instead help direct your web browser to an easy-to-use page with suggestions and links to get you back on track," Comcast said in a blog post explaining the service. "We also provide a seamless search experience on this page, which is powered by Yahoo, so you can find relevant search information, or simply perform another search."
Because this page also contains advertising, it generates revenue for Comcast. But some customers complained that the domain name system (DNS) redirection used by Comcast was actually a form of "hijacking" a user's broadband internet connection.
In response to a number of criticisms of the Domain Helper service and the complicated opt-out process, Comcast has now streamlined opt-out so that users who are logged in to their Comcast account can simply use an automated process, according to Ars Technica.
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