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

[Gary L]

Hands up who is still reading this thread from start to end. and have just got to this post.

6271 posts in total.
If you were to read 100 posts a day it would take you about 2 months to find out that your T&Cs have been altered

[mark777]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Hands up who is still reading this thread from start to end. and have just got to this post.

If you have then well done. How long did it take?

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by mark777

If you have then well done. How long did it take?

I'm up to #56

[mark777]

Originally Posted by Gary L

I'm up to #56

See you in July then.

[BeckyD]

I started reading this thread when it had 29 pages. Glad I check it regularly, reading over 400 pages would be very daunting!

[Alien]

Originally Posted by Mick

Is there anything I can download to prevent this 'Intrusion' i.e stopping the data analysis being collected by my ISP and passed on to the likes of Phorm?

Yes there is, its called Tor and can be downloaded Free from http://www.torproject.org/. Please make sure you read the documentation before you decide to download and use it. Please note that use of this software is at your own risk.

I don't know if this has already been mentioned, as I didn't feel like reading the whole thread. From this bit of their FAQ, it seems their system relies on cookies:

Webwise assigns a unique, randomly-generated number in a cookie to a customer’s browser to preserve anonymity, then matches the categories of browsing activity with advertising. When there is a match the customer sees the more-relevant ad.

In which case it should be fairly simple to block. People using Firefox should get this extension:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1247 [Cookie Button]

Then in Firefox's privacy options, turn off the option to accept cookies from sites. When you visit a site that uses cookies, Cookie Button's icon in the toolbar will show whether the site you're currently viewing has had its cookies blocked or not [red X = blocked, green tick = allowed]. If you use a site for which you want to allow cookies [e.g. staying logged in to CF] then you can click on the Cookie Button & set it to "Allow cookies from <site addy>".

Unfortunately I don't know of an equivalent tool for Maxthon [or IE], though you can achieve a similar result by going to Control Panel -> Internet Options -> Privacy tab. Then click the advanced button, & set the various options as follows:
Override automatic cookie handling: on
First party cookies: either prompt or block, though if you set it to block you'll have to go back & set it to prompt if you come across a a site that you want to allow but haven't previously.
Third party cookies: block
Always allow session cookies: off.

[Florence]

Originally Posted by icsys

It was also suggested that an investigation into this matter is already underway but there is no confirmation of this from any source.

Do you or anyone else have any information on this?


I also read somewhere that Amazon maybe close to signing up to the OIX

The investigation is good news as it will prove one way or another which is not telling the truth between Kent and VM which ever loses this will reflect badly on their companies.

As for amazon I have just sent this email off to Esther who has been replying to my emails on the terms and conditions. Maybe if others sent in similar emails, if this does happen then Amazon cookies will be removed as wil my details on their website. I will find other places to buy from I used Amazon as I trusted them with my privacy if/once signed upto phorm I would lose trust in them.

Hello Esther
I had originally emiled asking about the Terms and conditions which would be broken if Phorm was in use on my ISP. I have since resolved this by moving ISP to one which assured all customers they valued the customer and wouldn't be or had any talks with Phorm.

My next question is more about Amazon are you going to sign up to the OIX platform to advertise using the intrusive methods of Phorm?

Regards
Florence
This email and any replies will be published on cableforum.co.uk/board in the VM and Phorm thread unless instructed otherwise where only my understanding of the reply will be posted.

[Dephormation]

Originally Posted by Alien

I don't know if this has already been mentioned, as I didn't feel like reading the whole thread...

The most effective way to stop Phorm affecting any aspect of your web traffic (including stuff you read in Outlook, OpenOffice, Instant Messenger apps too btw) is simply to drop your ISP like a brick.

I wrote an add on for Firefox that forces your 'opt out' preference, but its pretty ineffective as a privacy & security measure, because you are effectively at the mercy of a company with a history of writing spyware and rootkits.

<--- So now I'm with Aquiss, and loving it.

So, feeling lucky?

Pete.

Originally Posted by Dephormation

...speaking of copyright abuse I've coded up a CDR generator.

If you're feeling kind, please help me test by clicking here;

http://www.dephormation.org.uk:8080/..._cdr/usage.php

If you're feeling very generous, please try the following link too (sets a temporary Phorm UID alike cookie);

http://www.dephormation.org.uk:8080/...ge.php?debug=y

No invoices will follow.

Please feel free to click a few times. You'll either see CDR LOGGED or NO CDR LOGGED according to the copyright risk/RIPA risk identified by the code. If you're with a Phorming ISP or you present a Phorm UID (by using the debug link) then you'll be classed a high risk (and a log entry will be created). If you're on a non-Phorm ISP you'll be classed a low risk (and no log is created).

Sadly, people who share the same IP address range as Phorm in Delaware or Moscow may see the words 'Sorry!'.

This is a known fault.

I'll release the code once I'm happy its doing what was intended.

If you think the code hasn't classified your request correctly, please can you drop me a PM (ideally with your IP/ISP details).

Pete.

Worked for me. I am a serious risk since I am with BT and I am therefore at risk of being a carrier of the now well known infection "Phormitis"

Yes it said "CDR Logged" for both my clicks.

Hank

---------- Post added at 14:16 ---------- Previous post was at 14:12 ----------

Originally Posted by Gary L

Hands up who is still reading this thread from start to end. and have just got to this post.

6271 posts in total.
If you were to read 100 posts a day it would take you about 2 months to find out that your T&Cs have been altered

I am phortunately a regular reader and started in March - phew!

Welcome anyone new who has just got to this page

Hank

[Alien]

Originally Posted by Dephormation

The most effective way to stop Phorm affecting any aspect of your web traffic (including stuff you read in Outlook, OpenOffice, Instant Messenger apps too btw) is simply to drop your ISP like a brick.

Haven't used OE in ages, I use Thunderbird for email. OO only gets used for reading downloaded documents & occasionally creating some, so not sure how that 1 could be an issue, & I haven't done any IMing in ages, & when I did I was using Trillian.

Originally Posted by Dephormation

I wrote an add on for Firefox that forces your 'opt out' preference, but its pretty ineffective as a privacy & security measure, because you are effectively at the mercy of a company with a history of writing spyware and rootkits.

<--- So now I'm with Aquiss, and loving it.

So, feeling lucky?

Fairly, yes. Reason being that I don't just rely on the measures I mentioned. I've actually been called paranoid for the lengths I do go to with some things. Aside from the aforementioned browser security measures, I also use Proxomitron, DNSKong [I swiped the domains from your code to add to my block list ], Kaspersky Anti Virus, & Comodo firewall. I rarely see adverts at all when surfing the net, & when I do I block them [unless it's a site's own special offer or something & I can't be bothered]. I just wish Firefox had a regular expression filter as elegant as Maxthon's. It's kind of like the Remove It Permanently extension, but uses regular expressions instead of XPaths.

[Dephormation]

Originally Posted by mark777

Pete

I've just been looking at your post on the new system over on Badphorm.

Might I suggest you offer the ISP's 60 days payment terms if they wish to pass on the costs to their users? This will give them a chance to collect the money.

...

The system needs a name. How about ContentWise?

I don't care what the ISP does when it gets the royalties bill.

I don't see why my creative efforts should be used to subsidise free network access for people too tight fisted to pay for their internet connection, or fund ISP network upgrades so they can offer a bogus 'unlimited connection' without shame or embarrasment, or even simply line the pockets of their investors [which is the most likely outcome IMHO].

I like the name " This domain name is already registered"

www.make-easy-money-from-content-thieves.com is still available, perhaps I should register that one instead.

Pete

---------- Post added at 14:57 ---------- Previous post was at 14:37 ----------

Originally Posted by Alien

Haven't used OE in ages, I use Thunderbird for email.

Sounds like you're well tooled up.

But this might intrigue you...
Thunderbird User Agent Analysis on BadPhorm.

If you open a mail in Thunderbird on Windows with remote embedded content (images, Javascripts or iframes etc) then the resulting web request user-agents fields are identical to Internet Explorer.

That means Phorms wonder user-agent filter no one has seen would fail to protect you... and they would know what newsletters you had viewed, when you viewed them, which domain they came from, what IP address/Phorm UID they were served to, what keywords were in the URL request, and any content returned.



Sorry.

Would you like the number for Aquiss? 01746 708090

Pete

[Florence]

Originally Posted by Hank

Worked for me. I am a serious risk since I am with BT and I am therefore at risk of being a carrier of the now well known infection "Phormitis"

Yes it said "CDR Logged" for both my clicks.

Hank

Both clicks I had no cdr on first one and cdr logged on second if you get cdr logged on both I would be worried and check for cookies this could be that BT are again running tests without informed consent would be good if we can catch them actually doing it live now....

Originally Posted by Hank

I am phortunately a regular reader and started in March - phew!

Welcome anyone new who has just got to this page

Hank

I dread having to go back looking for things I know we covered but needed the info again.

Welcome to all new members.

Originally Posted by Florence

Both clicks I had no cdr on first one and cdr logged on second if you get cdr logged on both I would be worried and check for cookies this could be that BT are again running tests without informed consent would be good if we can catch them actually doing it live now....

I get CDR logged on both. I think it checks whether you are on a POTENTIALLY phormed ISP (BT, VM, t'other one) OR have a Webwise phorged cookie.

[davethejag]

Hi All, Many thanks again for all the hard work you are all putting in to this fight! Slightly off topic I am a bit worried about when I clicked on the link to the video of the Phorm meeting the other day. I am not too computer literate but my AVG free edition picked up a virus which I put in the Virus Vault and I then cleared it, I also cleared my temporary internet files. The next day when AVG did a scan it picked a "HTML/Framer" as a threat, I think that this was in the temporary internet files again and I cleared them again. AVG has never found anything before and it seems ok now?. I do not undrestand the Russian hacking business and I would be very pleased if one of you brainier ones could put my mind at rest! Thanks again to all of you for the tremendous effort that you are all putting in to this fight.

davethejag.

[Florence]

Originally Posted by Dephormation

I don't care what the ISP does when it gets the royalties bill.

I don't see why my creative efforts should be used to subsidise free network access for people too tight fisted to pay for their internet connection, or fund ISP network upgrades so they can offer a bogus 'unlimited connection' without shame or embarrasment, or even simply line the pockets of their investors [which is the most likely outcome IMHO].

I like the name " This domain name is already registered"

www.make-easy-money-from-content-thieves.com is still available, perhaps I should register that one instead.

Pete

There is

• contentwise.org.uk available 2 years - £5.58
  contentwise.co.uk available 2 years - £5.58
  contentwise.info available 2 years - £17.98
  

Originally Posted by Dephormation

Sounds like you're well tooled up.

But this might intrigue you...
Thunderbird User Agent Analysis on BadPhorm.

If you open a mail in Thunderbird on Windows with remote embedded content (images, Javascripts or iframes etc) then the resulting web request user-agents fields are identical to Internet Explorer.

That means Phorms wonder user-agent filter no one has seen would fail to protect you... and they would know what newsletters you had viewed, when you viewed them, which domain they came from, what IP address/Phorm UID they were served to, what keywords were in the URL request, and any content returned.



Sorry.

Would you like the number for Aquiss? 01746 708090

Pete

That made me laugh Pete placed it in bold incase it was missed first time round cannot fault this company I left VM for Aquiss and my speeds went from -4meg to plus 6 meg and haven't seen anymore needs to refresh a website to see the content or speeds below 1meg in the evening...

---------- Post added at 15:14 ---------- Previous post was at 15:12 ----------

Originally Posted by JohnHorb

I get CDR logged on both. I think it checks whether you are on a POTENTIALLY phormed ISP (BT, VM, t'other one) OR have a Webwise phorged cookie.

After 8 years loyal customer to VM have to say the other side isnt bad you just have to get a decent router and go with a decent ISP.