This video from Dave's Garage explores how Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often monetize user browsing data, even with secure HTTPS connections. The key takeaway is that while HTTPS encrypts content, the Domain Name System (DNS) queries—which translate website names into IP addresses—remain largely unencrypted by default, allowing ISPs to see which websites users visit and how often. This "metadata" is then aggregated and sold as anonymized trend data to advertisers or used for cross-selling premium services. The video strongly advocates for encrypted DNS (DNS over HTTPS or TLS) as a more effective privacy measure than a consumer VPN for day-to-day browsing, as it prevents ISPs from seeing these revealing DNS lookups. Ultimately, the source empowers users to take control of their DNS settings to become less of "the product" and more of "the customer."
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