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

[OldBear]

Found this interesting: http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/news/22...es-annoy-users

Especially this quote: (My bold btw)

“Companies need to ensure they aren’t alienating web users. The Internet is often the first port of call for research and a website deserves the same time and effort spent on other marketing materials. If companies continue in this way they will lose not only customers, but reputation."

These are the sort of reports BT, et al should be taking notice of.

OB

[Dephormation]

Reading an email sent to the ICO now, BT planned to target the Kingston area, aiming to sign up 10,000 of 25,000 customers.

They planned to use an interstitial pop-up the first time a browser was used.

BT then planned a wider roll-out after the trial.

[Frank Rizzo]

That 30th May letter is probably the ICO to BT equivalent of the ICO to myself letter. Same date and same conclusion.

I would hope that my follow up letter to them after that date, and the noises from the EU since would have made the ICO realise that they need to take action and that the 30th of May letters were totally inadequate.

I have not had a reply to my follow up letter yet. I do hope the ICO make the correct decision.

[roadrunner69]

Originally Posted by ico to dephormation under foi

"in these circumstances seeking consent would not have served a meaningful purpose and it would have been difficult to frame consent/cookie wording in a way that would have had resonance for customers"

Does that not go against the surveys from phorm/BT sugesting that customers were reacting positively to the scheme?

[Dephormation]

Picture of the interstitial BT planned to use.

Look at the level of information given about profiling, and the size of the [YES] [NO] buttons.

Also confirms, if you delete your cookies, you get prompted to opt in or out again (ie, you CAN'T opt out entirely)

If you live in Kingston, phone BT, ask for your MAC code.

[Wildie]

Originally Posted by Dephormation

Reading an email sent to the ICO now, BT planned to target the Kingston area, aiming to sign up 10,000 of 25,000 customers.

They planned to use an interstitial pop-up the first time a browser was used.

BT then planned a wider roll-out after the trial.

is that interception before the choice without consent in the first instance.

[Privacy_Matters]

Whilst it appears likely that a technical breach of the requirements...

A breach is a breach...

... of the Regulations occurred in the 2006 and 2007 Trials, there is no evidence to suggest significant detriment to the individuals involved.

As there is no evidence to suggest otherwise - BECAUSE NO EVIDENCE WAS ASKED FOR.

How can this assumption be made without looking into the details... Cmon ICO, a house with a history of subsidence may or may not have significant detriment to the Home Owner's wellbeing - BUT A SURVEY IS STILL NEEDED.

[biting tongue........]

[Frank Rizzo]

The Kingston area itself was not targetted. They mean the Kingston RAS. This covers most of of Southern England, parts of Scotland and Wales so guinea pigs could have come from anywhere in the country.

See this post:

Kingston Ras

[Dephormation]

Originally Posted by Wildie

is that interception before the choice without consent in the first instance.

Looks that way to me. Its not 'opt in' at all.

[Florence]

Originally Posted by Dephormation

Picture of the interstitial BT planned to use.

Look at the level of information given about profiling, and the size of the [YES] [NO] buttons.

Also confirms, if you delete your cookies, you get prompted to opt in or out again (ie, you CAN'T opt out entirely)

If you live in Kingston, phone BT, ask for your MAC code.

There is not enough information there to make informed consent.
BT fail to say Phorm will be logging theri surfing habits, mirroring the site harvesting key words, to target adverts tot hem for a start.

No information on the history of Phorm.

Personal view if I was met by that I would refuse then start to reseach it if I had not already heard of it.

[Dephormation]

Originally Posted by Frank Rizzo

The Kingston area itself was not targetted. They mean the Kingston RAS. This covers most of of Southern England, parts of Scotland and Wales so guinea pigs could have come from anywhere in the country.

See this post:

Kingston Ras

I'm sure you're right, but what they told the ICO was the service "will be trialled from 12th March to 16 April in the Kingston area. We will be targetting around 25,000 BT Broadband customers with he aim of getting 10,000 signed up users of the BT Webwise service".

They even tell the ICO "Nothing will change to the way the BT Broadband service is provided today to those customes who do not wish to join the trial" (apart from the fact they will have to carry cookies in every single application to indicate that they didn't want to participate).

Its just gross.

[Privacy_Matters]

Originally Posted by Florence

No information on the history of Phorm.

More so... NO mention of Phorm...

[SimonHickling]

Originally Posted by Dephormation

Picture of the interstitial BT planned to use.

How much more informed could the consent be? You know it's hard to explain.



Edit - beaten by Florence.

[Dephormation]

19 March - ICO were experiencing 15+ calls a day about Phorm, and described it as "significant issue in terms of volume".

[roadrunner69]

Originally Posted by Florence

There is not enough information there to make informed consent.
BT fail to say Phorm will be logging theri surfing habits, mirroring the site harvesting key words, to target adverts tot hem for a start.

No information on the history of Phorm.

Personal view if I was met by that I would refuse then start to reseach it if I had not already heard of it.

Its exactly as most of us thought it would be, nice and fluffy, trusty BT logo, emphasis on anti-phishing, less adverts etc. And it's all FREE!!

Complete and utter BS.