BT selling users web data

[JDPower]

Don't like the look of this:

BT?s servers were secretly passing data on subscribers to its "new" advertising partner as long ago as last summer, though the companies refused to acknowledge any relationship at the time.

 

BT - the UK's number one internet provider - finally revealed the plan earlier this month along with Virgin Media and Talk Talk, which occupy the number two and three spots behind it. This means Phorm, the company that will run the targeting system, will have access in all to more than 10 million streams of web browsing data.

 

Phorm's Open Internet Exchange is an online broker that matches advertisers with publishers, much like Google or Yahoo!. The difference is that rather than target your interests using data you volunteer via web searches and by using free email services, Phorm is paying your ISP to hand over data on your browsing habits direct. The technology has roots in spyware, but the company insists it is setting a new "gold standard" in privacy online and emphasises that ISP customers will be able to opt-out.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/27/bt...ia_summer_2007/

 

http://www.badphorm.co.uk/page.php?3

[hazelnut]

Oh, dear, why am I not surprised. I didn't like the look of this bit....

 

So what do they actually see?

Phorm doesn't just see the URL of every page you visit, they see the entire content of every single web page (with the exception of encrypted pages). That means they can read your mail if you use most types of webmail, view all the posts you make or read on web forums, obtain the content of most webforms you complete, in fact just about anything you do on the web that is not encrypted can be hoovered up by Phorm. Phorm claim they do not store this information for more than 14 days.

[DennisD]

This saddens me, but doesn't surprise me. Forgive me for being cynical, but these three ISP's are simply the ones who appear to have been "sprung".

 

I don't doubt the rest of them would have a slice of this, given the chance.

[hotdoge3]

Gmail is my mail you know Gmail read all your mail as you get add with it like if you say good registry fix you get a add try this registry fix all so see http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06/15gmail_spook_heven/

[hazelnut]

Page not found (404) from your link hotdoge3

[JDPower]

This saddens me, but doesn't surprise me. Forgive me for being cynical, but these three ISP's are simply the ones who appear to have been "sprung".

 

I don't doubt the rest of them would have a slice of this, given the chance.

Well there are a few providers who have specifically ruled out doing this. I really don't like the look of this though and add to that the connection issues we (and many others) have been having recently while AOL go through moving servers to their new owners (Carphone Warehouse) and it mat be bye bye AOL very soon

[DennisD]

I read an interesting article the other day (didn't bookmark unfortunately), about our emails being "read".

 

Not exactly read, but email providers apparently filter every email you send and receive, looking for key words, and this info is passed on (sold?) to advertisers, so that the ads placed on customers email pages can be tailored to fit.

 

It sounds like an April 1st story, but it was a serious article, and I wish I could find it again.

 

This is the first time I've heard of this, and I think it stinks. This is the sad/bad side of the web, but IMHO, there isn't really a lot we can do about it.