Thread: Virgin Media Phorm Webwise Adverts [Updated: See Post No. 1, 77, 102 & 797]
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Old 19-04-2008, 17:36   #4139
AlexanderHanff
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Re: Virgin Media Phorm Webwise Adverts [Updated: See Post No. 1, 77, 102 & 797]
Quote:
Originally Posted by OldBear View Post
This has been a concern of mine too for a while now. I did ask on the BT board (got no answer, of course) about my concern at targetting ads at my seven year old daughter.

I know this has been in the news in the past where TV adverts have been concerned, and that OFCOM has previously looked at it. See here: http://www.childwise.co.uk/softdrinksarticle2006.htm The link is a bit old, but it does give the idea that some European countries have expressed concerns about this.

Any thoughts on the legality of targetting ads at/profiling children, Alexander?

OB
It is a difficult one to be honest. As a student of sociology I have looked at consent in a lot of detail as a mandatory requirement under research methodology. Also, I have been bound by the Statement of Ethical Practice for the British Sociological Association. I have also covered consent in two papers I wrote one on a controversial scheme in the US known as Teen Screen and one on the biometric fingerprinting of school children in the UK and both papers looked at the ethical requirements with regards to the consent of minors.

I mentioned Gillick's Competence yesterday in reply to a post in this thread; which is the relevant precedent with regards to age of consent in the UK.

Certainly it would seem appropriate at an ethical level and most likely at the legal level to consider issues involving the consent of minors and I am sure this will become a policy issue should Phorm be permitted to deploy in the UK as schools and public sector services providing Internet access to minors would have a responsibility under law to protect the rights of those subjects.

But, there is a fairly expansive opinion in the UK that parents should be more responsible for what their children are doing online so there is no doubt Phorm would use this in another PR battle. So it is a very tricky situation.

Do I think age of consent and informed consent are important issues when dealing with minors? Yes I certainly do and have argued this point academically as mentioned above.

Do I think it is an incredibly complex issue that will take a great deal of time and effort and possibly even changes in public policy to address? Again yes I do.

If you have concerns over this issue, I would recommend you write a letter (not an email) to your MP expressing them; it is a serious issue and it needs to be addressed at the highest level so your MP is the best equipped person to do that on your behalf.

Sorry if I haven't been very clear but it is a very complexly faceted issue.

Alexander Hanff
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