AT&T’s gigabit service is $70 if you let it spy on your searches

AT&T said that it has started service in four Austin neighborhoods with an offer to bring its GigaPower fiber-to-the-home service for $70 a month -- but with a pretty big catch. If you want to pay the lower rate you must agree “to participate in AT&T Internet Preferences.” This means, “AT&T may use your Web browsing information, like the search terms you enter and the Web pages you visit, to provide you relevant offers and ads tailored to your interests.” The gigabit service will have a one terabyte data cap with overage fees of $10 for each additional 50GB, up to an additional $30 per month. The pricing with targeted advertising is in line with what Google charges in Kansas City, although Google does offer a free 5 Mbps service, and has confirmed that it does not inspect your content at the packet level as an ISP.