MTNL Broadband is injecting ads on your computer pretending it's a feature

I could have sent u code but for me that ad has not appeared since June 16, 2015

Its blocked on my proxy server but those IPs have never appeared in my proxy logs after June 16, 2015

Personally I have never seen the advertisement.

It could be that only selected IP range gets this advertisement thing.
 
Here you can get some hints. These are URLs from my proxy logs.

Looking at URL there are 2-3 things they note.

Its called MTNL-Campaign1 ---> Campaign name?
Policy - 14 --> Some kind of policy?
Server ---> Possibly server which is supposed to send ad? (currently same as URL IP)
url ---> I have removed URLs - they are original page which user tried to access.


Code: 
http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-Campaign1/index.js?policy=14&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-Campaign1/index.js?policy=14&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-Campaign1/index.js?policy=14&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-Campaign1/index.js?policy=14&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-Campaign1/index.js?policy=14&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-Campaign1/index.js?policy=14&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-StudentResultOffer/index.js?policy=18&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-StudentResultOffer/index.js?policy=18&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-Campaign1/index.js?policy=14&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-Campaign1/index.js?policy=14&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-StudentResultOffer/index.js?policy=18&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL

http://203.94.227.140/dyn/bg/MTNL-StudentResultOffer/index.js?policy=18&webServer=http://203.94.227.140&url=URL
 
Dear Sir,

With reference to your complaint with registeration no. DOTEL/E/2016/REDACTED dated 10-01-2016 to Grievance cell of Minister of communication, it is hereby conveyed that MTNL respects the online privacy of all its Broadband Subscribers and hereby confirms that no user personal data is collected or stored by MTNL. We have put your broadband number in "DND" and now onward you may not receive further pop-up ads / information messages from MTNL. The in-browser pop-up ads are harmless and limited to a very few times per day per customer. MTNL also utilizes these pop-up ads to communicate important information like providing alert when subscriber reaches 80% of his entitled BB usage, new plans and schemes, etc. If a subscriber does not want to receive these pop-up ads / information messages, he can communicate so to MTNL. On receiving such communication, MTNL will add the subscriber BB Tel No. to the "Do not Disturb [DND] " database, after which the subscriber will not receive any further pop-up ads / information messages from MTNL please.

Thanks and regards,

REDACTED
DM(N/W)IIB
MTNL Mumbai
Click to expand...

Have sent a fitting reply. If anyone would like to add something, I'll send it as part of my next reply.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
These days my Noscript add-on repeatedly shows IP 203.x.x.x as blocked.

However I have not been able to see references to "203.x.x.x" when I view page source.

I think MTNL is trying to send advertisement but Noscript is blocking the script to run and hence ad is not popping up.

PS: Forgot exact IP. Will post next time it shows up in Noscript.

@x720 can you tell me where u sent complaint along with content!! I wud copy-paste to them!!

I would ask them to add my name in DND!!
 

I sent a complaint via PgPortal. Will need to check the content. Will post in a bit.

In general, I wrote about how MTNL was not providing internet for free, and how wrong browser injection is on their part.
 
But since they are considering it as service alerts. What is the other option? PGPortal takes the complaint to MTNL people... Not to the TRAI... :\
 
They did remove the ads when I asked them on twitter, now I don't get any ads. I think it's not right to complain on PG Portal directly. Proper grievance redressal mechanism should be followed. So, those who don't want these ads can just talk to mtnl via twitter or fb. Although I agree that it is wrong to do so. I had received a snapdeal popup when I opened flipkart initially, later on they stopped third party ads I think.
 
It is still tampering of web traffic. And users are not told at the time of taking of connection. And it remains a form of man in the middle attack. Something that needs to be taken seriously by this freakshow of a government. It's insane that network neutrality has become such a hot topic because Facebook is involved. But no one cares about this even though two major ISPs and that too owned by the government are involved in this.
 

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