Looks like the heat is being turned up against Phorm and its use of Internet user profiling for advertisers. The Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) has written an Open Letter to the Information Commissioner (ICO) questioning the legality of Phorm’s technology and its invasion of and the subsequent selling of our Internet privacy.
Phorm is one of the growing number of companies including Double-Click that are selling and using technology that allows online advertisers to focus their web adverts based on user profiles derived from the captured browsing information of Internet users.
Worries are growing amongst many Internet users that every move they make on the Internet will be a tracked by ISP’s such as BT (who also are rumoured to have secretly tested the technology on a number of its users) , TalkTalk and Virgin Media all of which have signed up to use Phorm’s technology.
There is even a Bad-Phorm web site setup to explain in some detail what the issue is about.
The ICO is still waiting for a full reply from BT to their enquiry for details on how they are staying within UK law. This subject will not go away and if we (the ordinary Internet user) want true online privacy, then the UK government has got to step in and make sure that we are protected.
This subject will not go away and I am sure that we will hear much more about it the coming weeks.
Sign the 10 Downing Street e-petition here.
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Beasley's Place 