Phorm

Can someone explain in simple terms what's the fuss about?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7619297.stm

 

your partner goes on to the computer and gets, let's say, targeted porn ads aimed at your surfing history. That's the fuss.

 

I thought certain companies (Google?) could already do this sort of thing, hence the question.

 

In a nutshell - if your ISP becomes a partner, Phorm install software on your ISP's servers. This software looks at all your web page requests and selects ads, from their partners, that match what you are looking at. These ads can then be inserted, on the fly, into the page you have requested. Result - 'targeted ads'.

Phorm say that you, as an individual, are never identified and that they only work on your computer's IP address. Others say different, depending on their paranoia levels!

Phorm are the re-incarnation of 121Media, which caused a storm a few years back with some stealthy software, (Trojan?), that was installed on your computer, without your knowledge, to try and achieve the same objective of targeted ads.

The real fuss is whether this 'service' should be delivered as an 'opt in' or 'opt out' service. It is currently an 'opt out' service which means they will get a lot of 'customers' who simply don't know what is going on!

On a nit picky level, if my surfing habits are being monitored and that info is used to make money, where's my cut? Supermarket 'loyalty' cards do exactly the same thing - and you get a cut, in the discounts offered by points.

Bottom line is that Phorm have a lot of previous history to atone for to be trusted with such intrusion into a person's privacy.

Increasingly, businesses see personal privacy as effectively suspended if you choose to go online, i.e. you're fair game. The EC is a littled worried by this growing trend

 

Thank you for the explanation. Can we as users do anything about it?, for example, configure the browsers to minimise the intrusion?

 

You can opt out. The main issue is that BT and Phorm have done two trials each of 100,000 homes without obtaining consent or telling anyone.

This is very intrusive and currently discussions are underway as to if its illegal.

Your best bet is to speak with your ISP. I have spoke with mine and they have stated categorically they will never have anything to do with it. If you are with BT or Virgin, I think you are stuffed.

 

First up, you can change your ISP if they sign up for the service - but that is a hassle, really

Hopefully, Phorm will offer an 'opt out' option - which will doubtlessly be VERY well hidden in their website somewhere - and you can opt out. (The bit that confuses me about the opt out is that, as most of us have dynamic IP addresses that change regularly, then the only way to opt out is by doing it as an individual. But Phorm say they do not identify individuals Makes me wonder how it would work, then!)

Another thing you can do is set your web browser to not accept cookies. You can do this from your browser's settings, but it makes a lot of the other surfing you do a right royal pain in the arse! Some websites will not allow you access to their services if you do not accept cookies - online banking, for instance. Other sites will allow you access but will not know who you are, so will not apply any preferences you may have saved for that site.

Lastly, you can accept that your privacy is compromised, say sod it and not be too paranoid about it!

For my part, if Virgin, (my ISP), goes ahead with the 'service', I shall repay the favour by stripping all adverts out of all web pages I visit! (Web browser = Firefox with the add-on 'ADDBlock Plus' installed). So Phorm can merrily stick stuff in and my browser will happily strip it all out again - sorted

The problem with this approach, of course, is that a lot of the sites I visit are helped out financially by the adverts they host. The occasional click-though helps the site and doesn't do me any harm. This 'valid' revenue would be lost if I came over all stroppy and stripped out their ads. It's this subjective difference, between 'valid' and 'invalid' revenue which a lot of people object to. We shall see, but at the moment the storm is filling up the tea-cup quite nicely. I think the best we can hope for is that the ISP's decide to not risk alienating their customers, and driving them away to their competitors, and don't implement the 'service'.

 

On my home PC I cannot see any adverts. Thanks to a Firefox plug in.

 

There you go! No ad = no click = no revenue = grand idea not working!

Trouble is - the same people who keep responding to the junk mail on the doormat, and keep it coming, will probably also click on the served-up ads. Can we kill 'em?

 

Virgin have told me that they intend to adopt it and I will be given the opportunity to opt out. They may only have offered me this because I wrote telling them I would close my account if they adopted it without the option.

 

Nice one, Bob. I too have expressed my concern to them - it will be interesting to see how they offer, and implement, the opt-out without Phorm identifying the person opting out! The core of Phorm's defence is based around their 'inability' to personally identify individual users - this defence looks very shaky if they can then opt you out. Surely they must identify you in order to leave you alone?

Also, Virgin obviously hope to make money out of the venture, I wonder how they will view/treat customers who won't play ball! Their 'great reputation' (NOT!) for customer service may take a little battering over this issue. What fun