phorm/webwise

OldBear

JohnHorb wrote: »

If anyone is interested, there is an anti-Phorm protest planned at the BT AGM. Digg it here

http://digg.com/tech_news/No_DPI_web_site_launches_with_Phorm_Protest_Event

Thanks for posting this, John. I live in London, so will definitely be going along.

Got to let these people know that it may be 'good to talk' but spying on me and my kids is a big No-no!

OB

LardyCake

JohnHorb wrote: »

If anyone is interested, there is an anti-Phorm protest planned at the BT AGM. Digg it here

http://digg.com/tech_news/No_DPI_web_site_launches_with_Phorm_Protest_Event

Thanks for the info. If, like me, you can't go - you can still help by donating towards the cost of organising the event. There is a "donate" button (top right of page) on http://nodpi.org/

Helix

Phorm got a mention on this weeks Gadget Show. Which is repeated tomorrow at 10am on five if anyone missed it.

Jocatz

Over the last couple of weeks I have been noticing more and more articles on the net about Phorm/webwise. None of the articles seem to say anything positive about this firm and it's possible future ability to compile a dossier of a browsers actions on the internet. I realise that BT and Phorm have both said that they would never keep such information but I find it hard to believe that they would not find a profitable way of passing that information on to a 3rd party.

Does anyone know if BT will have control of the information gathered by Phorm/Webwise and are there are any Government departments that keep track of, or control, the personal details that firms such as BT/Phorm/Webwise keep?

I know I can get details of the information held about me by legitimate ( banks, credit agencies etc) firms. Would I be able to request a copy of the information that is held against my internet connection?

BritBrat

Jocatz wrote: »

I know I can get details of the information held about me by legitimate ( banks, credit agencies etc) firms. Would I be able to request a copy of the information that is held against my internet connection?

That's a good point, would be a hell of a lot of data for me but I do not use one of the three phorm ISP's.

Stuart_W

Just to add to the list, The Phone Co-op (as you would expect of a member-run co-operative society) have clearly stated as part of their ethical approach to trading that they do not and will not be involved in systems like Phorm.

http://www.thephone.coop/about/press_docs/newsletterjune08.pdf

I am absolutely appauled that I knew nothing about this system until my phone company informed me through their newsletter.

sra

The latest Security Now episode (149 - 'ISP betrayal') covered Phorm and other similar systems and in two weeks time they're going to do an episode dedicated to Phorm (though they indicated it might be a bit technical).

Some quotes from the current episode -

[121Media] did something called "PeopleOnPages" and also did something called "Apropos." Apropos was one of the worst adware that used rootkit technology. It installed itself into randomly named directories. And then it installed a kernel-level driver to hook the API Windows to - and it used, it was a kernel rootkit that was in there hiding, inventorying people's machines and monitoring everything that they did. These are the people that bring us now this Phorm system. And in two weeks I'm going to talk about the technology that these guys have come up with. It's just unbelievably invasive.

...can't wait to tell our listners about the technology that is being employed it's mind bogglingly bizarre and frightening.

LardyCake

Police quiz BT on secret Phorm trials

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/05/bt_phorm_police_meeting/

Hanco

LardyCake wrote: »

Police quiz BT on secret Phorm trials

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/05/bt_phorm_police_meeting/

If anyone has shares in Phorm... watchout cos it reached a new low this week and on the back of the Police interviews; hardly surprising!

Anyone thinking of investing in Phorm take caution too, because Baronness Miller of Chilthorn has asked some very interesting questions of the Home Office dept and the Dept for Business Environment and Regulatory Reform. The responses which should have been given by the end of July will possibly further damage the business value of the stock.

Lessons should be learned by internet service providers: we all like a bargain and low cost internet is a good thing, but not at the expense of destroying trust and any privacy left in this digital age.

Petition now at 17300+ signatures. Have you signed yet? http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ispphorm/

trish06

Thanks just signed the pertition