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Internet policy think tank believes Phorm is 'illegal' in UK
Tuesday 18 March 2008 06:15:14 by Andrew Ferguson

For a short while after the web chat by Phorm more people thought they knew what the system was all about, and the charm offensive from Phorm was in full swing. Today sees the Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) publish an open letter to the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas.

The letter raises the issue of whether the targeted advertising system Phorm is to implement and BT Total are about to trial is effectively an interception of communications and as such under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 requires explicit consent from both the broadband customer and provider. Most interestingly FIPR believes that consent would be required by the host of the web pages, which with the myriad of websites around the world would be impossible to obtain. Exceptions exist that allow filtering for viruses and unsolicited bulk email but would not cover a targeted advertising system.

This latest twist in the Phorm tale may well see any provider deploying the system having to implement an opt-in system, which may undermine the amount of income the system will generate. How many consumers will sign-up is anyones guess, many may believe the phishing protection is worthwhile, but with the myriad of built-in and add-in phishing protection tools out there already, that aspect is hardly a unique feature.

The recent webchat had a few interesting Q&A items that are worth re-printing.

Q: It would seem that the biggest issue so far is with the opt out feature. Can you please tell us, if opted out, will ANY data pass through ANY server owned by Phorm either within the ISP network or not ? If it does then why if we have opted out ?
A: No, if you opt out, none of your data will pass through a Phorm-owned server.

Q: Having a system that provides a form of customised marketing is one thing. But do you understand the real concern shown here and on other sites for what browsing information (or interet connection info, MAC address, IP address, ISP account info) is used or stored in order to provide this service?
A: Yes, we do understand people's privacy concerns. That's why do NOT tie into the ISP authentication systems, don't use MAC addresses and don't store IP addresses.
It's important to understand that our system uses page information to make a real-time match against advertiser categories (e.g. sport). We only store the category, not the browsing information, so we can't tell where you've been on the internet, or what the page contained.

Extracts from Phorm web chat

The key point appears to be that the Phorm system while it may initially see a fair amount of data that may identify someone, once it has been washed and then categorised it should contain nothing that identifies you or which exact sites you visited. Only once the final result is produced is anything stored on disk, in theory it seems if the server is rebooted any material queued up to be processed would vanish. The big concern is how this works in practice and whether mission creep could occur where more data is slowly stored over time, or some data is inadvertently logged to disk or exposed by error report logs.

The original BBC News item that brought this open letter out into the open has various comments from FIPR and BT.

"Provided the customer has consented, we consider that there will generally be an implied consent from website owners. Secure and password-protection content will not be scanned, profiled or stored."

BT spokesperson

One area the FIPR does raise is web pages that would otherwise not be found by search engines as they are not linked to any other web page. In these cases the content may well not be secured with a password and people rely on it only being a transient page, for example pictures of a family event, new product pages waiting to be published or a company carrying out market research that it wants a group of individuals to view. In the same way that viewing your browser history could reveal a sudden interest in party venues if booking a surprise party for someone in the family, if adverts for party venues started to pop-up it could ruin a surprise. Now you can of course clear your browser history, but the Phorm database will have your interest now categorised.

[ Topic: Regulation | 70 comments | link to this item ]

Comments

Posted by whatever2 over 4 years ago
Loaded question :

A: No, if you opt out, none of your data will pass through a Phorm-owned server.

Great, so that means it will be an ISP owned server then.

Posted by keith_thfc over 4 years ago
"The key point appears to be that the Phorm system while it may initially see a fair amount of data that may identify someone, once it has been washed and then categorised it should contain nothing that identifies you or which exact sites you visited."

Sorry but I wouldn't want a known spyware company coming within a mile of any of my data. Ditto goes for BT who covered up the initial trials.

Posted by keith_thfc over 4 years ago
"BT has admitted that it secretly used customer data to test Phorm's advertising targeting technology last summer, and that it covered it up when customers and The Register raised questions over the suspicious redirects."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/17/bt_phorm_lies/

Posted by carrot63 over 4 years ago
@whatever2

You're right; according to a slashdot item the equipment is simply 'sold' to the ISP, evading the '3rd party' tag. From the beginning, there has been a lot in BT's weasel words that suggests carefully constructed language designed to mislead or evade. I'm sure there's more to come.

The item has a few more revelations and is worth a read.

http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=489948&cid=22777122

Posted by xela over 4 years ago
"In the same way that viewing your browser history could reveal a sudden interest in party venues if booking a surprise party for someone in the family, if adverts for party venues started to pop-up it could ruin a surprise. Now you can of course clear your browser history, but the Phorm database will have your interest now categorised."

This is my biggest concern with Phorm. Shared Internet connections are the norm now so equating one connection to one person is seriously flawed.

Posted by whatever2 over 4 years ago
At the end of the day, although the data may pass through an ISP as a conduit, they neither own it or are entitled to process it.

Imagine if the post office read the return addresses of all mail sent to you, worked out what was related and sent you more.

I assume advertisers have to sign up for this, i cant imagine they'd be too happy with their ads being swapped...especially when sites have a revenue stream based upon specific advertisers.

Posted by Canopus over 4 years ago
I wonder what adverts they would serve up to me considering the most frequent site I visit is SpamCop to report spam. Doing it via my Googlemail account to only ads served to me via Adsense are recipes for spam fritters etc. and I'm vegetarian!

Posted by Pigmaster over 4 years ago
Having read all the pages on El Reg and other places I still do not fully understand what Phorm are doing. They say that No data is stored. Fine, but that means that the targeted ads are only for that current http session it is working with. So the example of going to Paris in the webwise example is fine, but the moment you visit another site does it forget about Paris. The example seem to suggest that it keeps data as surf thus giving you hotels in Paris, but if data is not stored how does it remember that the hotel you are looking for is in Paris

Posted by Pigmaster over 4 years ago
Another thing is that I do no what some secret webpages that I operate to be data captured, these are password protected for customers/clients. Can you stop Phorm from data capturing these pages or do you have to ask BT/Talk Talk etc to not capture those pages.

Posted by keith_thfc over 4 years ago
"Imagine if the post office read the return addresses of all mail sent to you, worked out what was related and sent you more."

Phorm won't just read the delivery address though. They'll open up all your mail, read the contents and then flog it to the highest bidder.

Posted by andrew ( staff member) over 4 years ago
On the data store, what is stored is this

They scan the content for keywords, e.g. the word flowers which is a keyword in the gardening category, and so a hit is added to the gardening category.

On their service though store that cookie number 123456 has 6 hits in the gardening category, 2 hits in the travel category, 10 hits in the shopping category.

So if visiting a website that is signed up to their OIX the computer with the cookie 123456 is very likely to see an advert that fits into the shopping category.

They only put the adverts on sites signed up to OIX

Posted by LCake over 4 years ago
andrew wrote:
"They scan the content for keywords"

Shouldn't that be:
"They *say* they scan the content for keywords".

I am afraid I don't trust either BT or Phorm

Posted by keith_thfc over 4 years ago
"They scan the content for keywords"

To me that's Spyware.

Posted by eurobear over 4 years ago
I don't understand why more people aren't up in arms about this. Would people be happy if thier water company was scanning thier urine on the way out so some Nappy company could send out free samples as soon as pregnancy is detected?
MY ISP should be a utility company I pay them to pass through data not to have a poke around in it along the way.

Posted by herdwick over 4 years ago
"I don't understand why more people aren't up in arms about this." - one challenge would be "in what way is this different to using Google Mail or Google search" (apart from the obvious "you don't have to use those but you have no choice if your ISP uses Phorm).

People have different value sets, some perhaps don't look at adverts and simply don't care.

Posted by c_j_ over 4 years ago
"some perhaps don't look at adverts"

Repeat one thousand million times: this is not (just) about adverts, it is about dubiously legal interception of personal (if not private) communications, without legal cause, purely for profit. Not to mention corporate dishonesty in BT HQ - "we weren't trialing it" (BT get caught lying) "we were trialling it but only one one exchange" (technically unlikely and inconsistent with observed evidence, but...)

Posted by dopamine2 over 4 years ago
I hate the idea of what Phorm does, but it'll go ahead whether we like it or not. The only thing that public hostility will change is how much activity Phorm and ISPs admit to.

The UK public has rolled over and accepted wholesale monitoring: CCTV; retained mobile phone records; automatic numberplate recognition cameras; DNA databases; plus many more we don't know about. Phorm is just another form of monitoring that will be moaned about, but quietly forgotten and allowed to expand. There's too much money involved for it ever to fail.

Posted by Pigmaster over 4 years ago
Andrew, "the data store" so data is stored?

In your first browsing session you look for hotels in Paris.

The next day, you come across a OIX enable website, according to Phorm you should get adverts for hotels in Paris. How can it do this if it does not store data.

Fine saying cookie 123456 has 2 hits in the travel category, but how do the hits know it is for hotels in paris. Somewhere cookie 123456 has to point to some stored data to say hotels, paris, france, travel

Posted by Pigmaster over 4 years ago
I have signed the petition and also sent a free email to my MP via http://www.writetothem.com/

The more email MP's get it might be raised in PMQ's

Posted by whatever2 over 4 years ago
"... we consider that there will generally be an implied consent from website owners. Secure and password-protection content will not be scanned, profiled or stored."

You consider, I don't.

On the second note, private forums are password protected but transparent via http...so...

Its still my data, not the ISP's. They are a carrier. If they can invest enough in this then they can filter my spam.

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
"I hate the idea of what Phorm does, but it'll go ahead whether we like it or not"

Oh really? What if 100,000 customers ask for MAC codes then? Impossible you say? Actually if the heroes who blockaded the Petrol refinaries a while back had continued for one more week and some more English got off their fat backsides and contributed this totally corrupt Government would have fallen

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
This lesson would warned such totalitarian companies like BT and PHORM not to try it on.
We all still have the Power to do something if we stop talking and start acting.

They love people to talk and moan and discuss they fear those that act. So Stop talking and start online campaigns warning all BT,Virgin and Talk Talk customers. Print leaflets like I did and hand them to potential customers when you see Talk talk with a stand in a Shopping Centre. It really annoys them to have people informed and warned.

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
As for writing to or emailing your MP please don't be so damn naive. Does anyone think still an MP is up there in the House of Whores doing his bit on your behlf? Oh please, their crimes are reported almost daily. Why do you think that lot came up with ideas like OFCOM? To act in our interest? Just look at OFCOM and ask "what is it doing about PHORM". Er nothing actually.

Posted by whatever2 over 4 years ago
Yes, whats all the fuss about. After all, it only might be illegal, it might only be legal profiteering, and it might only be done to the majority of the country's customers, who are probably the most technically naive of the demographic and might not even understand what it's doing.

You dont have to comment. What you can do is give me a log of all your public traveling this year, i'll filter out your name, and i'll sell that info on. Ta.

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
Oh God yes it is this again. We have the choice to switch off the TV and avoid adverts. I don't know about others but I don't want to receive bloody adverts from cretinous companies and there pathetic products. If I want to buy something I go and look.

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
Put it another way suppose you go shopping with your missus (perish the thought save the £££) and some creep follows you around and takes notes on what you buy and where. Then this creep follows you home to your private address and writes all this info down.
He then sells this information to any slimy little business outfit who will stump up the cash and then you start having to order a second recyling bin to deal with all the UNWANTED repeat UNWANTED advertizing material.

You would be very peed off and complain about your privacy.

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
Thats the example in the real world only PHORM are wanting to do this in the Cyberworld so YES its this again mate.

One can argue "I have nothing to hide". this is not the point. It is the thin end of the wedge.

Only today it was announced that the Inland Revenue now have the right to enter your house without a warrant or permission to look you over for tax evasion if you are self employed or some person has "informed" on you. The IR along with 200 other Government agencies can now do this and you think this is OK?

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
Britain is in the early stages of a Police state and it may take another 10 -20 years to finally control and monitor us 24/7 but this seems to be the goal.

So if I can do anyhting to slow the ********* down I will do as much as I can.

I have worked in Communist countries prior to the relaxing of the rules and it is not a pleasant way of life and I do not wish it to take hold here disguised with easy credit and LCD TV's.

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
There ALL commmunication was monitored 24/7 and you daily were asked for your "papers" as we will be soon as the usurper Brown gets his way. The people here are sleeping. your enemies are not.

Posted by herdwick over 4 years ago
"it is about dubiously legal interception of personal (if not private) communications, without legal cause, purely for profit. "

Profit is good, makes the world go round. It's a bit FUD to call it interception of communication, implying someone is sat reading your emails. If the system only drives advertising that is ignored by the end user it is a disease with no symptoms.

Posted by keith_thfc over 4 years ago
Herdwick - if you trust the proven liars that are BT and a spyware company to keep your data from falling into the wrong hands then you're a braver man than I.

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
Hear Hear!

Actually its computers that will be reading your emails so one should always use PGP encryption for emails its really upsets them.

Profit does not make THE WORLD GO AROUND.

What it does is make sure that billions of people starve daily, and a 5% of the wealthy own the rest of us. Not that Socialism is better its actually a lot worse.

Why do companies make a lot of money fron Anti-Adware and anti-spam software?
Perhaps its because we DONT want adverts from stupid greedy businesses.

Posted by tommybee over 4 years ago
Not new but worth repeating here

the ISP business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs ....

There's also a negative side

Posted by alphabetter over 4 years ago
"Provided the customer has consented, we consider that there will generally be an implied consent from website owners. Secure and password-protection content will not be scanned, profiled or stored."

Clearly rubbish. Anyway if I put a notice on my web site "I do not grant permission for communications to this web site to be intercepted" and then I can show that a BT customer accesses the web site then we have a day in court.

Time to get a new ISP I think.

Posted by alphabetter over 4 years ago
.... and another thing

"Q: It would seem that the biggest issue so far is with the opt out feature. Can you please tell us, if opted out, will ANY data pass through ANY server owned by Phorm either within the ISP network or not ? If it does then why if we have opted out ?
A: No, if you opt out, none of your data will pass through a Phorm-owned server."

but as we know Phorm have "sold" their servers to the ISP. It will still go through Phorm equipment - just that its now in the ISPs logical domain instead.

Posted by herdwick over 4 years ago
Joe Public is happy to use Google as a doorway to the internet, putting precisely the same data into Google's hands as Phorm would do - can someone explain the difference ?

Ditto Nectar or store loyalty cards.

Posted by chrysalis over 4 years ago
no problem herdwick.

1 - google ads are on sites with consent ie. owner of site gets revenue from them and chooses for them to be there.
2 - it doesnt intercept the web page prior to loading.

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
Sorry but i have to agree with herdwick, there is not really any differnce, both google and phorm work off keywords. Google actually record the keywords you entered into the search box and the link you clicked and compare the 2 pieces of data, they then use that data to make the search more accurate... Phorm is no different really except instead of just keywords they will use data to see what you are interested in and deliver ads based on that data... Much like google delivers results based on your keyword. (CONT)

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
These Phorm stories and people running around in circles repeating its opt in or out is getting rather boring now. You do have the option to opt out you dont have to have phorm monitor you in anyway. As i and other sensible people have said if you are that bothered ring your ISP and say MAC please! The whole idea this is illegal or in some way is forcing peoples information into others hands is pathetic. Dont like phorm... Dont use a ISP that is using phorm... Dont like googles search results... Use a different search engine... Nobody is being forced into anything.

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
And from guzzos now 1 millionth comment and reading them all i think i have discovered who he is or who his hero is... hxxp://www.darlingtontown.co.uk/images/citizen-smith.gif ;) hehe

Posted by carrot63 over 4 years ago
"Joe Public is happy to use Google as a doorway to the internet, putting precisely the same data into Google's hands as Phorm would do - can someone explain the difference?"

Its a totally different game to Google. In addition to what Chrysalis has written:

- Google does not see every page you browse so its picture is incomplete.
- You can abandon Google without having to get out of a contract and find a new ISP.
- If you refuse a Google cookie and you are on a dynamic IP, it can learn nothing about you. Phorm on BT sees EVERYTHING irrespective of any opt-out cookie or cookie blocking.

Posted by carrot63 over 4 years ago
@ Herdwick cont'd
- Google can see only HTTP traffic - Phorm has the potential to see all.
- Phorm can see all of your webmail traffic - google can see only Gmail.
- Phorms earlier incarnation 121Media has a history with rootkits - Google don't AFAIK.
- Phorm share a Moscow business address with known pushers of Malware.

Everyone needs an ISP to use the internet, a search engine is optional. Do you really trust the word of a company with such dubious ancestors? Or an ISP (BT) who misleads over conducting tests of an invasive technology on its customers without informing them?

I don't.

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"Do you really trust the word of a company with such dubious ancestors? Or an ISP (BT) who misleads over conducting tests of an invasive technology on its customers without informing them?

I don't."

WELL change ISP then

Posted by Pigmaster over 4 years ago
Also, you have to agree to Google T&C's which state what they are doing. Don't want it then don't use Gmail for mail or Google for searching. Simple, whereas Phorm inctercpt the http stream before it leave your ISP network, fudges the stream then returns the data with necessary ads if required.

BT will turn face and try to look the golden angels with an opt in system whereas a few weeks ago they wanted everyone to be auto opt in. The are now trying to save face but it will fail

Posted by paulmichaelsnr over 4 years ago
What happens when I log into my bank using my private security numbers, passwords and secure questions?

Posted by Dawn_Falcon over 4 years ago
It's a secure site. Or if it isn't, you need to change bank pronto!

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"It's a secure site. Or if it isn't, you need to change bank pronto!"
Oh no please dont go there..... Here comes the flood from the paranoid conspiracy theorists about how a simple cookie will decrypt 128Bit (or more) secure sites

Posted by Tacitus over 4 years ago
Quote Carpetburn: The whole idea this is illegal or in some way is forcing peoples information into others hands is pathetic.

No it isn’t. It’s either illegal or it isn’t. If it is they should either be prosecuted or forced to abandon it. Laws are there for a purpose.

Quote: “Dont like phorm... Dont use a ISP that is using phorm... “

Yup simple really. Do you seriously think that once this interception by third parties of all your internet communciations, becomes normal accepted legal practice, you will be able to find an ISP which doesn’t sign up to it?

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
No it isn’t. It’s either illegal or it isn’t. If it is they should either be prosecuted or forced to abandon it. Laws are there for a purpose."
They aint breaking the law, you dont have to accept it, you are free to leave the ISPs concerned, you are not being forced into it with no choice. (CONT)

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"....you will be able to find an ISP which doesn’t sign up to it?"
I couldnt care less about getting a few pop-ups or careless if they know what URL im typing. Important stuff like banking details they wont get anyway as the information is encrypted when sent.Its nothing more than sheer paranoia from people. They aint gonna get your passwords or anything like that to anything important.A store card may know what you buy...it doesnt know how much money you have in your wallet, this is no different. Its just an ad system for god sake!

Posted by Tacitus over 4 years ago
They aint breaking the law,...
I din't think the legal bods (apart from Phorm's own) had pronounced on it. AFAIK the Information Commisioner has not yet said anything, but perhaps I missed it.

It's not about ads, it's about dubious third parties intercepting your communications for whatever reason.

If you are happy with third parties intercepting your communications and believe everything they say, I can only admire your trusting nature.

Posted by kamelion over 4 years ago
ignorance is bliss

Posted by Guzzo over 4 years ago
CARPERBURN AARRRGH!!!!!!!!!
hxxp://www.darlingtontown.co.uk/images/citizen-smith.gif
Thats done it LOL
Oh I dont use Google because they censor too much.
A also think PHORM is a front for the starving hordes of East Russia

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"It's not about ads, it's about dubious third parties intercepting your communications for whatever reason."
They are not "INTERCEPTING" anything, christ the paranoia... The aint some group of l33t hacz04s (or however the kids type) its just a company in partnership with BT and similar serving ad content, and using information based on your surfing habbits to deliver the right content (or what they think is right content) to you. Its nothing new to target a potential customer.

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"If you are happy with third parties intercepting your communications and believe everything they say, I can only admire your trusting nature."
If you believe in the way you put it that doesnt already happen it the real world when you do something as simple as your weekly shopping i admire your head in the clouds. Also ever wondered where all that junk mail through your letterbox comes from? No i didnt think so!

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"CARPERBURN AARRRGH!!!!!!!!!
hxxp://www.darlingtontown.co.uk/images/citizen-smith.gif
Thats done it LOL
Oh I dont use Google because they censor too much.
A also think PHORM is a front for the starving hordes of East Russia"
LOL if you believe some here i am now a marked man by the government, google, the company that owns the site that image is on and basically the whole world who now think im some kind of militant as i had to use google images to find that pic LOL :D I will probably also have emails flooding me now to join an anti establishment organisation as well LOL

Posted by Tacitus over 4 years ago
"They are not "INTERCEPTING" anything, christ the paranoia... The aint some group of l33t hacz04s (or however the kids type) its just a company in partnership with BT.
Like I said, given Phorm's previous incarnations I admire your trusting nature...
And yes I'm well aware of Google storing search queries the fact that spiders are even now probably crawling over this page...
What Phorm are proposing is in a different league. Try reading some of the posts on Slashdot.
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :-)

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
Its just an advert targeting system, the idea is nothing new, each time a company launch a new system like this though the paranoid people suddenly think some form of big brother is watching their every move and going to use the information to murder them or something, its just stupid! In simple terms, company A say to company B would you like ads on lots of computers, company B say yes please, give company A lots of cash and we watching annoying but harmless flash ads. Company A dont care about your details, some people seem to think they are more important than that though.

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
Oh and its nothing to do with a trusting nature or trusting a company.... Microsoft have been in court for dubious things previously but i bet the majority here still use their products in some form. Including vista which some have argued is spyware itself and plenty of music and video clips that are DRM protected and report direct to them. Wake up it is NOTHING NEW!

Posted by Dawn_Falcon over 4 years ago
Right. So a third party which is not held to the same standards of data privacy your ISP is, which produces malware, having total and identifyable access to every website you visit isn't a problem.

Oh look, a flying lilac pig!

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"having total and identifyable access to every website you visit isn't a problem...."
Not really no, a library knows what books youhad out and read doesnt it, this is no different, the only people that have anything to worry about are those that visit tobepolite dodgy websites. Phorm dont care if your home page is thinkbroadband, google, yahoo or anything else. Even if they did care i fail to see why people would be worried a company knows you are on a website reading these words i type.

Posted by Tacitus over 4 years ago
Company A dont care about your details,
Phorm said they don't so I guess it must be right....

quote: "the only people that have anything to worry about are those that visit tobepolite dodgy websites

And so the country happily slides down the road to the surveillance state. But since I'm honest I've got nothing to fear have I?

Checkout the Slashdot post that someone upthread referred to.
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=489948&cid=22777122

If you can't see that this *is* different, I'll give up and join Dawn_Falcon as we count the pigs flying past the window....

Posted by Dawn_Falcon over 4 years ago
Carpet, a library can't sell the data of what I've borrowed - they don't have that use under the data protection act.

Phorm is a problem by its nature and its history as a malware vendor. A managable problem, but a problem.

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"Carpet, a library can't sell the data of what I've borrowed - they don't have that use under the data protection act."

I think you will find they do unless you ticked a box or something to say you dont want your details used for other things..... Oh hang on thats the same as this phorm thing again isnt it

Posted by Dawn_Falcon over 4 years ago
See, if you don't even understand library's obligations under the DPA...

Posted by Tacitus over 4 years ago
I think the rot has started as elReg reports the Guardian is backing out of OIX... Enough pressure and even the ISPs might begin to see it's a PR disaster.....

Nonetheless they could be back in another er, form, as they are still negotiating with AT&T in the US.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/26/guardian_phorm_uturn/

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
quote"See, if you don't even understand library's obligations under the DPA..."
If you sign up to use a library service, a store card service or anything similar where they collect information about your habbits, they can flog it to whoever they want unless you opt out in some manner, which is exactly the same as this phorm thing.

Posted by Dawn_Falcon over 4 years ago
Carpet, the equivalent is signing up with a supermarket who used to sell rat poisons. In the same building. Without cleaning.

Posted by CARPETBURN over 4 years ago
No evidence has even been produced to show phorm will use details in any way apart from to make money serving you ad content. Until such time it is proven they are up to something more than that all the oooo phorm bad bad bad posts are sheer speculation.

Posted by Dawn_Falcon over 4 years ago
No evidence has been produced to show you're not a space alien. Phorm's background as a malware company completely taints their product, there is no need to "speculate", it IS a problem.