Virgin Media Phorm Webwise Adverts [Updated: See Post No. 1, 77, 102 & 797]

[Florence]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

I wish I had some spare cash at the moment I would register d-p-i.org and put up a site called "Deep Packet Infection". Actually nodpi.org might be better.



Alexander Hanff

Any donations this would cost £17.98 for 2 yrs I am willing to help pay for it is there enough of us to band together to help protect the internet from this virus.

[AlexanderHanff]

No please don't start the donations thing again lol. I will get it when I have some spare cash.

Alexander Hanff

[BetBlowWhistler]

(Adds further details on Information Commissioner decision, CEO comments)

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Advertising technology company Phorm Inc. said it is in advanced talks with a number of British and international internet service providers over its online advertising platform, and has moved into the trial phase with some of them.

In February, the company, which categorizes web-surfing habits in order to target online advertising, said it had signed exclusive agreements with major United Kingdom ISPs BT Group PLC., Carphone Warehouse Group PLC.'s fixed-line subsidiary Talk Talk, and Virgin Media Inc. to adopt its OIX platform and consumer internet feature Webwise.

Chairman and chief executive Kent Ertugrul said the company will begin a pilot with around 10,000 BT customers in the next few weeks, and a roll-out should not be far behind.

The platform enables targeted advertising based on the search and browsing habits of the service providers' customers and has attracted heated media interest, with press reports of a potential compromise of users' privacy prompting Phorm to issue a statement in March saying it will "never store any personal information, or anything that can identify a user".

"The only information stored is an anonymous random number assigned to a user's browser, the advertising categories that match their areas of interest and a time stamp," Phorm said, adding that users would be able to switch the Webwise product off and that its technology complies with UK law, including the Data Protection Act.

The Information Commissioner who is responsible for enforcing the Data Protection Act (DTA) and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) has said Phorm products [b]will need to be 'opt-in' [b]for them to comply with PECR regulations, which means each ISP customer will need to explicitly consent to having their web use tracked.

Ertugrul told Thomson Financial News that the company will deploy an unavoidable notice, which is a full web page detailing consent for its service that will be displayed when the user first comes online and the system is deployed. The user will then have the option to opt into the service.

Ertugrul said the contents of the page will easily meet the requirements for valid consent on the part of the users.

The ICO said its views are based on the current understanding of the Phorm products before the trial or roll-out at the ISPs, "which should provide more information about their use in practice".

Phorm said it has started dialogue with the Information Commissioner's Office, "who are pleased with the way that we have engaged with technical experts and concerned individuals following the announcement of the service". It also said it has met with other online privacy stakeholder and has had with encouraging results.

Phorm no longer generates advertising revenues since it moved its focus tp its online platform. Without sales and with the costs of investments, pretax losses in the full year widened to $32 million from $11.5 million last year.

Looking ahead, the company said: "We have built an excellent team and a market leading technology platform and, as a result, we look forward with great optimism to the opportunity that lies ahead for our company."

My emphasis.

[AlexanderHanff]

Apparently Phorm's annual report and accounts have just been published. They are supposed to be on Phorm's web site but I can't see them.

Alexander Hanff

[Dephormation]

Originally Posted by oblonsky

You know this is very interesting. The opt-out mechanism sounds like Phorm and a trading friend told me that last Friday's spike in share price was to do with a new deal "going live" soon, which I took to be the trials at BT. I wonder whether this might just be Phorm? Does anyone know the opt-out mechanism, if any, for NebuAd or any other data raper?

If you have a look over on badphorm I've analysed the Charter opt out page redirects, and noted the cookie details.

Which reminds me I must make this version of Dephormation available more widely, it logs all the redirects etc without needing a proxy, if anyone's interested in a copy.

Charter looks a lot like BTs original Phorm opt out (but doesn't refer to the Webwise domain). I don't think its Phorm, but it looks similar client side.

[Florence]

BetBlowWhistler where was that and what date was it posted where ever it is?

[jca111]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

Apparently Phorm's annual report and accounts have just been published. They are supposed to be on Phorm's web site but I can't see them.

Alexander Hanff

I've been looking - I cant find it either

[Florence]

found them http://www.phorm.com/reports/2007_Final_Results.pdf

[Rchivist]

Originally Posted by BetBlowWhistler

My emphasis.

Thanks for this. Good to see the ICO hook in Kent's nose beginning to drag him slowly forward (like those smoking cure adverts!) (there's an idea for a very clever graphic artist with some Photoshop skills)

So the Webwise invitation page will be displayed how? and where? By traffic interception? By interrupting my request for http://news.bbc.co.uk and giving me a Webwise invitation page instead?

If that is the plan, then its still an illegal interception of my surfing.
They need to send the invitation either by email, or by a popup when browsing the ISP customer pages - not when I am browsing the web in general.

And of course even then, the whole system is still illegal on several counts.

[AlexanderHanff]

Originally Posted by Dephormation

If you have a look over on badphorm I've analysed the Charter opt out page redirects, and noted the cookie details.

Which reminds me I must make this version of Dephormation available more widely, it logs all the redirects etc without needing a proxy, if anyone's interested in a copy.

Charter looks a lot like BTs original Phorm opt out (but doesn't refer to the Webwise domain). I don't think its Phorm, but it looks similar client side.

It isn't Phorm, it is NebuAd:

Charter is partnering with a company called NebuAD to build profiles of its users. NebuAD will share the behavioral tracking results with third-party advertising networks like DoubleClick. Users can opt out of the system, but have to give their full name and address to get an opt-out cookie. The process would have to be repeated for every browser on every computer in a home to block the service, and would have to be reset if cookies are ever deleted.

Source: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/200...r-to-inse.html

Alexander Hanff

[Dephormation]

"The Group made no charitable ... contributions"

At least they're even handed...

"The Company is unable to pay a dividend"

See, I told you he was more like the Sheriff of Nottingham.

[AlexanderHanff]

Originally Posted by Florence

found them http://www.phorm.com/reports/2007_Final_Results.pdf

Thanks I will give it a read when I get back from my meeting.

Alexander Hanff

[BetBlowWhistler]

Originally Posted by Florence

found them http://www.phorm.com/reports/2007_Final_Results.pdf

Actually I found it on the iii site under the overview heading, dated the 10th (April) iirc.

[BadPhormula]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

Maybe you could apply for a job as a Phorm logo designer then bwahahaha

Alexander Hanff

To be a Phorm logo designer you only need a sheet of tracing paper and someone elses design

Btw I heard the latest Phorm logo guy is out at the local church graveyard taking rubbings in anticipation of Virgin Media's adoption news. ROFL

---------- Post added at 13:40 ---------- Previous post was at 13:31 ----------

Originally Posted by Paul Delaney

Nice little Free Dial-up number there too complete with user/pass! (they don't usually give them out without a sign-up) very handy...

SurfAnytime
0845 604 1528
username = surf
password = surf

Pobox
0845 604 0259
username = free
password = free

Fast
0844 535 2001
username = fast
password = fast

Don't forget to add 141 at the beginning in order to withhold your telephone number.

e.g. 14108456040259

Yet again - selective to the point of disinformation:

From BetBlowWhistler's post:

"The Information Commissioner who is responsible for enforcing the Data Protection Act (DTA) and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) has said Phorm products will need to be 'opt-in' for them to comply with PECR regulations, which means each ISP customer will need to explicitly consent to having their web use tracked."

and

"Phorm said it has started dialogue with the Information Commissioner's Office, "who are pleased with the way that we have engaged with technical experts and concerned individuals following the announcement of the service". It also said it has met with other online privacy stakeholder and has had with encouraging results."


These two events were at least one month apart chronologically the latter being all but retracted by the ICO by the announcement that the product should be opt-in!

God that man is soooo slippery - he is totally incapable of making any kind of statement that doesn't belie his deviousness!





EDIT: Thanks BadPhormula for the free dial-up numebers and details