07 Apr 2008
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has said it will monitor an upcoming BT trial of targeted advertising system Phorm to gauge internet users' reaction to the service.
The controversial system sends advertising to users based on the web sites they visit.
The ICO said it is in ongoing discussions with Phorm, which is allowing its technology to be scrutinised by experts.
"We believe that it is only by allowing their technology to be subject to detailed scrutiny by independent technical experts that they will be able to prove their assertions regarding privacy," said an ICO spokesman.
Phorm claims that its system does not allow the retention of individual profiles of sites visited and adverts presented, and that it holds no personally identifiable information on web users.
BT will run a trial involving 10,000 broadband users later this month.
Last week it emerged that BT had trialled Phorm's technology in 2007 without informing customers.
BT claimed that the trial was legal because individual users' information remained anonymous – but privacy campaigners said it was a breach of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000, which makes it an offence to intercept internet traffic without consent or a warrant.
Phorm is also negotiating deals with ISPs Virgin Media and Talk Talk.
Google scans the content of your emails if you choose to use their free email service. They are pretty open about that.
On the other hand, Google technology DOESN'T plant a unique identifier in your browser that is readable by *every* website you visit - regardless whether you opt in or out. This is a result of the incredibly poor design of Phorm's technology.
If your ISP is Phormed, you can kiss goodbye any notion of privacy. Trust me, there WILL be lists circulating of Phorm IDs matched to your name, address, bank details, etc. The result will be that every single website you visit (and even those that you don't - think of advert servers and the like) can find out exactly who you are if they so choose.
This technology is without doubt one of the dumbest, badly thought through and downright insecure ideas I have ever come across. The implications for loss of privacy and ID theft are immense.
Quite why the ICO is acting so complacently (and why BT are even talking to these jokers) is beyond me.
Posted by: clanger9 08 Apr 2008
Phorm and its like, secure? Anonymous? They would say that.
It is clear that once the principle is established every ounce of value will be extracted, and not just by 'honourable'
companies; others less honest will get on the band wagon as soon as they can.
It is like legalised phishing expeditions!
Posted by: Ken Evans 07 Apr 2008
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