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

[popper]

Originally Posted by dav

This thread has just been shown on the BBC's "Click!"
TradUK is famous lol.

Anyway keep up the good work everyone. No Surrender!

well..., a 10 second mention (07.42 mins into it)and a pan of the poll (when it was 21 'im quite happys), but enough for the viewer to just about work out were it came from anyway.

the click! researchers should come in here and ask far more questions on our views and many subjects

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programme...ne/4137816.stm
click the 'watch now' link to start the java code that opens the player window.

i cant be bothered to find the real link to the direct stream so you can play it in any stand alone OS app....


i did it anyway
mms://wm-acl.bbc.co.uk/wms/news/media_acl/mps/fix/news/uk/video/159000/bb/159204_16x9_bb.wmv works for me in VLC and MPC

[Cobbydaler]

Originally Posted by TehTech

This is indeed good news for the customers of BT & VM!

Will there be a repeat of it or a webshow of it anytime in the future as I would be really interested to watch / listen to it!

This is what we need, more publicity on what is going on / intended to go on if PHORM get their way, and must be stopped dead!

More people have to know & protest at this or we will wont win the war against PHORM!

This week's should be available from the page below from next Friday...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ne/default.stm

[lucevans]

...And now BT are having a rethink, too...

According to Adam Liversage, the hapless BT employee who has been tasked with answering questions on the Phorm system from the lucky trialists over on the BT network;

"...BT can also confirm that in parallel with the trial, we are already developing an opt-out solution that would remove the need for opt-out cookies altogether."

The full thread is over at http://www.beta.bt.com/bta/forums/th...t=165&tstart=0

So first TalkTalk listen to their customers, now BT appear to be doing the same...so the big question everyone here wants answered is: What are you going to do, Virgin Media?

~ * ~

Then again, maybe BT have done us all a favour and sunk Phorm before it can even get off the ground...at 10pm last night, the same BT spokesman posted the following:

"SYSIP.NET ISSUE - UPDATE

BT can confirm that we conducted a very small scale technical test of a prototype advertising platform on one exchange in June 2007. The test was specifically conducted to evaluate the functional and technical performance of the platform. Absolutely no personally identifiable information was processed, stored or disclosed during this trial. As with all Service Providers, it is important for BT to ensure that, before any potential new technologies are employed, they are robust and fit for purpose."

Oh boy, now the crap is really going to hit the fan!!! Not least because BT have repeatedly denied having anything to do with the mysterious sysip.net server last year. Now it turns out they were running a secret trial using customers' data without informing them....I can't wait until The Register reads that one!

[manxminx]

Looks like the BT trials have begun:

the Webwise trials have actually already begun. They are running from 12th March to 16th April 2008.

http://www.beta.bt.com/bta/forums/me...ID=14293#14293

Opps, looks like I need to send BT my refusal of interception notice for my website ASAP.

Originally Posted by dav

This thread has just been shown on the BBC's "Click!"
TradUK is famous lol.

Is that available to download and view iPlayer perhaps?

[popper]

Mick, use that direct mms i posted inside VLC and save it off that way

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 17:11 ----------

its also on http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search/?q=click if you just want to play it that way.

---------- Post added at 18:40 ---------- Previous post was at 17:44 ----------

Originally Posted by manxminx

Looks like the BT trials have begun:

http://www.beta.bt.com/bta/forums/me...ID=14293#14293

Opps, looks like I need to send BT my refusal of interception notice for my website ASAP.

for your administered web site(s), you dont need to send BT VM or anyone else a notice, just put it on all your web pages.

if any Phorm opted-in trialists were to visit your website(s) and your web data was processed by the profiler(s) then your notice in there covers it, and they may be in serious trouble.

[manxminx]

Originally Posted by popper

for your administered web site(s), you dont need to send BT VM or anyone else a notice, just put it on all your web pages.

if any Phorm opted-in trialists were to visit your website(s) and your web data was processed by the profiler(s) then your notice in there covers it, and they may be in serious trouble.

That's a passive way of doing it, and I will be doing that. But maybe a better way would be to send them a registered letter, give notice under RIPA and then request that they furnish me with the details of how they intend to comply with my notice. That way I've got it in writing from them.

[Altern8]

Out of interest. On what type of webpages do phorm inject their ads into?

I mean, if I use google to search for Car Insurance, will half the ads I would normally see be replaced with their injected ads? or if I am visiting a forum that is paid by ads, for example overclocking cpu's, would they inject their ads there and replace the normal ads i would see? or if I have ads on my own website, do they replace those? various news portals that have ads on? or myspace/facebook *shrug*

Oh dear!

http://www.nebuad.com/company/press_...s_01_22_08.php

[Sirius]

I think the poo will hit the fan now.

Adam ++++++++ wrote:
SYSIP.NET ISSUE - UPDATE

BT can confirm that we conducted a very small scale technical test of a prototype advertising platform on one exchange in June 2007. The test was specifically conducted to evaluate the functional and technical performance of the platform. Absolutely no personally identifiable information was processed, stored or disclosed during this trial. As with all Service Providers, it is important for BT to ensure that, before any potential new technologies are employed, they are robust and fit for purpose.

Adam

This is the trial and test that BT's own tech support classed as an adware infection, They later denied they ever did it. It was a test of what was to become the Phorm Spyware system

---------- Post added at 21:46 ---------- Previous post was at 21:29 ----------

Just found this on Skyuser Forum

http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/polls...tml#post135285

Re: Phorm and Sky Broadband - Would you stay or go?


Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan b View Post
Have we heard either way from Sky because if we haven't their silence is deafening.
We emailed Sky directly about this,
Quote:
Could you give us any information regarding Sky and Phorm?

Specifically if there are any plans / trials and also whether or not Sky would if implemented make it OPT IN and not an OPT OUT like Carphone Warehouse have today confirmed?
This afternoon we had this reply.

“Sky is interested in exploring the potential for targeted online advertising and we’re talking with a number of companies operating in this area. Of paramount importance is the online safety of our customers and we’ll only implement a solution when we can use customer data in a responsible way which safeguards privacy.”

Although this is a direct copy of the text given to The Register, Friday 29th February 2008, it does seem to me, that until Sky believe that Phorm does not breach any Privacy Issues, it would not be implemented.

Neither does it rule the potential get together out, or indeed make it clear that the answer to our question directed at Sky is a straight Yes or No.

I suppose until Sky decide whether or not to implement, the opt-in or opt-out scenario is a bit academic.

[popper]

Originally Posted by manxminx

That's a passive way of doing it, and I will be doing that. But maybe a better way would be to send them a registered letter, give notice under RIPA and then request that they furnish me with the details of how they intend to comply with my notice. That way I've got it in writing from them.

true, passive for most people will be the main easy option,you can be sure there are a few people getting ready to track the trackers and then take them to the cleaners

however, if you can get the ISPs to infact write you in response, then that too could be a very good stick to use later.

i suspect their first thought would be to put you into a blacklist file of some sort, but that too perhaps opens many legal doors you can then use against them.

how do they deal with an opted-in user wanting to visit an on notice website.

and thats ignoring the fact they cant really know if the sites got a no profiling notice until they have potentially unlawfully parsed the site and processed it in some way, its all starting to sound real expensive if not impossible.

---------- Post added at 22:13 ---------- Previous post was at 21:56 ----------

Originally Posted by Sirius

I think the poo will hit the fan now.



This is the trial and test that BT's own tech support classed as an adware infection, They later denied they ever did it. It was a test of what was to become the Phorm Spyware system

---------- Post added at 21:46 ---------- Previous post was at 21:29 ----------

Just found this on Skyuser Forum

http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/polls...tml#post135285

i liked this bit best.
"we’ll only implement a solution when we can use customer data in a responsible way which safeguards privacy"

they or indeed anyone never mentions anything about paying the users a licence fee for legal use of their data.

[dav]

Originally Posted by JohnHorb

Oh dear!

http://www.nebuad.com/company/press_...s_01_22_08.php

They have GOT to be joking!

Have you read their "privacy" policy? http://www.nebuad.com/privacy/uk_servicesPrivacy.php


There are so many holes, obvious security concerns and legal grey areas in there that even I would be willing to stand up in court and present a case against them.

These people actually make the Phorm guys seem competent, and that takes some doing!

[lucevans]

Originally Posted by Altern8

Out of interest. On what type of webpages do phorm inject their ads into?

Only the pages that contain OIX advert panels

I mean, if I use google to search for Car Insurance, will half the ads I would normally see be replaced with their injected ads?

Only if half the ad panels on that page are being rented by Phorm/OIX

or if I am visiting a forum that is paid by ads, for example overclocking cpu's, would they inject their ads there and replace the normal ads i would see?

No.

or if I have ads on my own website, do they replace those?

Not unless you sell advertising space to Phorm



For the record, I'm 100% against this system, but we need to get our facts straight if we're going to avoid being labelled as a "paranoid minority".

[Altern8]

Originally Posted by lucevans

For the record, I'm 100% against this system, but we need to get our facts straight if we're going to avoid being labelled as a "paranoid minority".

So true. Thanks for the answer. ATM my ISP is not signed up with these guys, and hopefully they never will. I'm an ex-ntl/VM customer, always interesting to keep up with the gossip

[lucevans]

Originally Posted by Altern8

So true. Thanks for the answer. ATM my ISP is not signed up with these guys, and hopefully they never will. I'm an ex-ntl/VM customer, always interesting to keep up with the gossip

I envy you - I moved to NTL just before they became Virgin because ADSL to my address was awful (fastest I could get was 1Mb, and I lost the connection completely every time it rained) due to very poor quality copper running to the house - BT admitted as much, and said it wasn't worth their while replacing it.