Cable Forum - View Single Post - Virgin Media Phorm Webwise Adverts [Updated: See Post No. 1, 77, 102 & 797]

popper · 04-03-2008, 13:31

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/04/phorm_ripa/
Data pimping: surveillance expert raises illegal wiretap worries
Have you got a warrant for that marketing probe?

By Chris Williams → More by this author
Published Tuesday 4th March 2008 13:07 GMT

A leading expert on computer surveillance has raised serious doubts over the legality of deals by BT, Virgin Media and Carphone Warehouse to sell their customers' web browsing data to Phorm, a new online advertising company.

Professor Peter Sommer, the author of the groundbreaking 1980s book The Hacker's Handbook and a frequent expert witness in data crime trials, said the plan to monitor the contents of the websites people visit in order to target advertising could fall foul of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA).

Commenting on BT network diagrams that describe the system, obtained by The Register, Professor Sommer said: "Whatever the parties involved say, this appears to be an interception under RIPA. The real issue will be about how consent is obtained."

...
Virgin Media told us today: "Virgin Media is still some way from deploying Webwise. We will roll-out the system once we are completely satisfied that our implementation meets all applicable privacy guidelines and complies with all data protection requirements."

Potential violation of RIPA through an unlawful interception is a separate issue to requirements under the Data Protection Act, however.
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04-03-2008, 13:31	#470
popper Inactive Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,270	Re: Virgin Media Phorm Webwise Adverts [Updated: See Post No. 1, 77 & 102] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/04/phorm_ripa/ Data pimping: surveillance expert raises illegal wiretap worries Have you got a warrant for that marketing probe? By Chris Williams → More by this author Published Tuesday 4th March 2008 13:07 GMT A leading expert on computer surveillance has raised serious doubts over the legality of deals by BT, Virgin Media and Carphone Warehouse to sell their customers' web browsing data to Phorm, a new online advertising company. Professor Peter Sommer, the author of the groundbreaking 1980s book The Hacker's Handbook and a frequent expert witness in data crime trials, said the plan to monitor the contents of the websites people visit in order to target advertising could fall foul of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). Commenting on BT network diagrams that describe the system, obtained by The Register, Professor Sommer said: "Whatever the parties involved say, this appears to be an interception under RIPA. The real issue will be about how consent is obtained." ... Virgin Media told us today: "Virgin Media is still some way from deploying Webwise. We will roll-out the system once we are completely satisfied that our implementation meets all applicable privacy guidelines and complies with all data protection requirements." Potential violation of RIPA through an unlawful interception is a separate issue to requirements under the Data Protection Act, however. ... "