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

[MovedGoalPosts]

Originally Posted by handyman

Forgive me if I'm wrong as just had a quick scan of the thread.

Can this technology detect and replace ad blocks running on this site. (And others such as mine)?

If so then it has little to do with protecting users from spam and more to do with pure greed. If 70% of UK users get ads served by their isp then I stand to lose a fair amount of money.

No the website has to decide to display ads that are served up by Phorm's system instead of whatever ads it currently displays.

The ISP makes it's money by recieving a payment from Phorm for the installation of Phorms spyware electronics onto the ISPs network. Phorm make their money by selling ad space through their OIX system. Presumably therefore they would have to pay website owners for the spot's on the page, rather like google adsense, or other such systems do today.

[crazymaniac]

This really does sound like another part of britain's technology to add to britains Big brother, and how privacy seems to have gone flying out the window!

Im sorry, but this seems like some HUGE scam and privacy infringment, I mean how dare they even suggest this. Surely this goes against every kind of data protection acts you can think of!!

From the things i've read about this company, this sounds like the scam of the century. If this goes ahead, I will lose faith in humanity

Plus I would connect via proxy ALL THE TIME JUST TO STOP THEM WATCHING EVERY SINGLE THING I DO!

I mean, do we have any privacy left in our country? Or even the world?

[markt50]

I really hate the idea of this technology, It's not so much the thoughts of my ISP knowing my browsing habits, it the fact they want to sell/pass this info onto a third party, seems like the very definition if invasion of privacy to me.

Anyway, I know E-petitions usually don't get anywhere, but there is a petition about this on the 10 downing street website if anyone would care to view and maybe sign it:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ispphorm/

[Griffin]

I personally dont remember seeing anything in VMs t&c or small print about selling or passing on your data, but i do remember seeing something about privacy. If VM go ahead with this they should get People to sign a new contract. I for one will not sign an agreement that allows any form of spyware & will move to a company that follows my views on it

[popper]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/04/phorm_ripa/
Data pimping: surveillance expert raises illegal wiretap worries
Have you got a warrant for that marketing probe?

By Chris Williams → More by this author
Published Tuesday 4th March 2008 13:07 GMT

A leading expert on computer surveillance has raised serious doubts over the legality of deals by BT, Virgin Media and Carphone Warehouse to sell their customers' web browsing data to Phorm, a new online advertising company.

Professor Peter Sommer, the author of the groundbreaking 1980s book The Hacker's Handbook and a frequent expert witness in data crime trials, said the plan to monitor the contents of the websites people visit in order to target advertising could fall foul of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA).

Commenting on BT network diagrams that describe the system, obtained by The Register, Professor Sommer said: "Whatever the parties involved say, this appears to be an interception under RIPA. The real issue will be about how consent is obtained."

...
Virgin Media told us today: "Virgin Media is still some way from deploying Webwise. We will roll-out the system once we are completely satisfied that our implementation meets all applicable privacy guidelines and complies with all data protection requirements."

Potential violation of RIPA through an unlawful interception is a separate issue to requirements under the Data Protection Act, however.
...
"

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Postcodes (and for that matter, addresses) are largely text, so would be picked up by Phorm..

US ZIP codes 90210-1234 on the other hand are all numeric. While the Standard ZIP code is very similar to the first block of digits on a UK post code allocating to a sorting office or generic region, e.g. EC1A, the +4 aspect is like the second part, allocating to a smaller block of properties, the 1HQ (or 1234) part of the above example

[Florence]

This seems to sum it up I don't think the large ISPs have thought about the legality of this action...
author of 'The Hacker's Handbook' (1980's) Professor Peter Sommer, warns about this and the link below shows this could conflict with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA): as posted in the News on ISPreview

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000...1-ch1-pb1-l1g1

[none]

Looks like channel4 news has picked up the story - http://www.channel4.com/news/article...g+deal/1703547

I'd have thought the BBC would have picked it up before channel4, but heyho, maybe they will now.

Mainstream news coverage it what we need more of to let the average joe know whats going on. Once the masses realize they are being hoodwinked by their ISP I think their will be a huge consumer backlash over this, and rightly so!

[bliss]

I've just thought of a major major problem i may have with this. Am i right in think that PHORM will be able to view everything i do in non-secure forums but private forums?

I'm am an Admin for one of the most successful non-commercial gaming servers out there (Cain's Lair). And we have a lot of sensitive data in our admin forum sections like Admin phone numbers from around the globe, server passwords etc. Does this mean they'll be able to see all this?

[crazymaniac]

Originally Posted by bliss

I've just thought of a major major problem i may have with this. Am i right in think that PHORM will be able to view everything i do in non-secure forums?

I'm am an Admin for one of the most successful non-commercial gaming servers out there (Cain's Lair). And we have a lot of sensitive data in our admin forum sections like Admin phone numbers from around the globe, server passwords etc. Does this mean they'll be able to see all this?

Oh Yes. Absolutely. Even though they say they don't, doesn't physically stop from doing it. I mean, lets say they can be called "monitors". So I ask everyone this...

Who monitors the monitors?

[bliss]

This could be a very big security problem for my community.

One more thing. Isn't the fact that they will see the inside of a view/post by signing up only forum be a breach of privacy?

[crazymaniac]

I understand your concern, your personal details (and everyones elses) could be up for grabs for the people who work for/with phorm!

[bliss]

Looks like i have an arguement against them then. Especially as one of my major jobs is looking and checking every signup IP address for bad users.

[oxfordmark]

I just called up CS.. And she didn't know anything about it.. and said if this was going to happen they would be briefed...

Has anyone called hem up and heard different??

[bliss]

They'll probably play dumb until it's actually in use.