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Some good news today – it seems like BT has finally seen sense and ditched Phorm, the internet technology used to spy on people in order to target adverts at users. The service was started in 2004 and was designed to show adverts that targeted specific users regardless of the site in question.
For example, someone who liked Football would see sports ads on every page, not just sports related websites. How does Phorm know that you like Football? It takes advantage of personal information left behind on the net to spy on you.
A spokesperson from BT said: “We continue to believe the interest based advertising category offers major benefits for consumers and publishers alike. However, given our public commitment to developing next generation broadband and television services in the UK we have decided to weigh-up the balance of resources devoted to other opportunities.”
Carphone Warehouse dropped out shortly after, with Charles Dunstone CEO quoted saying that they were only going to be part of the deal if BT and the rest of the UK market agreed. Virgin is also likely to pulling out of the deal shortly.
The service was doing well last year: BT, Carphone Warehouse and Virgin all signed as partners for the service which would have covered a large amount of UK net users. Trouble started for the company not soon after this announcement though, as BT decided to violate consumer rights by secretly testing the technology on over 35,000 broadband customers.
Despite Phorm insisting that everything was above board and that users were identified by a ‘number’ rather than a name of any other identifiable information, piracy groups were up in arms about the service.
Even the creator of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee spoke out against the service, saying: “I feel it is very important that my internet service provider supplies internet to my house like the water company supplies water to my house — connectivity with no strings attached. To allow someone to snoop on your Internet traffic is to allow them to put a television camera in your room, except it will tell them a whole lot more about you than the television camera.”
While we understand that advertising is as much a part of life on the net as any other medium, we’re at a loss to figure out why companies think they have the right to pry into our personal lives to find out information. If you can’t do it with radio, TV and print adverts why should you be allowed to do so online simply because the technology is there?
Phorm’s shares have dropped sharply this week and the company is said to be focusing its attention elsewhere in the world. Maybe China will be interested?
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