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

Anonymouse · 16-06-2008, 14:42

I wrote to Brian Iddon MP, who's had a reply to his letter from Shriti Vadera (who?!) of the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (the what now?). According to him/her/your guess is as good as mine, "the Government is committed to ensuring that people's privacy is fully protected."

Yeah. I'll pause briefly while the incredulous sardonic laughter dies down.

"Both the ICO and I have discussed with BT their plans to run a trial involving around 10,000 broadband users, and the company has confirmed their decision that customers' web browsing will only be monitored for subsequent delivery of advertisements if they decide to opt in to the trial."

- now why don't we believe them? And if this Shriti Vadera is such an apparently prominent figure here, why the hell haven't we heard of him/her/it before?
Then:

"BT have also told us that the system will not store personally identifiable information, URLs or IP addresses not retain browsing histories, and that search information will be deleted almost immediately and will not be retrievable later. The ICO will maintain close contact with Phorm and BT throughout the trial. Similarly any ISP putting Phorm into comercial use is going to need to deploy simiar safeguards to satisfy the ICO."

Nothing about satisfying us, though. Nor do I believe a word of it. Define "immediately", for a start - is that minutes after the info is gathered? Hours? Days? Weeks? What the hell does that mean?

Comments?

16-06-2008, 14:42	#9048
Anonymouse RIP Tigger - 12 years?! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bolton Age: 58 Services: EE Superfast Broadband Posts: 1,445	Re: Virgin Media Phorm Webwise Adverts [Updated: See Post No. 1, 77, 102 & 797] I wrote to Brian Iddon MP, who's had a reply to his letter from Shriti Vadera (who?!) of the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (the what now?). According to him/her/your guess is as good as mine, "the Government is committed to ensuring that people's privacy is fully protected." Yeah. I'll pause briefly while the incredulous sardonic laughter dies down. "Both the ICO and I have discussed with BT their plans to run a trial involving around 10,000 broadband users, and the company has confirmed their decision that customers' web browsing will only be monitored for subsequent delivery of advertisements if they decide to opt in to the trial." - now why don't we believe them? And if this Shriti Vadera is such an apparently prominent figure here, why the hell haven't we heard of him/her/it before? Then: "BT have also told us that the system will not store personally identifiable information, URLs or IP addresses not retain browsing histories, and that search information will be deleted almost immediately and will not be retrievable later. The ICO will maintain close contact with Phorm and BT throughout the trial. Similarly any ISP putting Phorm into comercial use is going to need to deploy simiar safeguards to satisfy the ICO." Nothing about satisfying us, though. Nor do I believe a word of it. Define "immediately", for a start - is that minutes after the info is gathered? Hours? Days? Weeks? What the hell does that mean? Comments? __________________ "People tend to confuse the words 'new' and 'improved'." - Agent Phil Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D.