Phorm has received it's biggest endorsement yet - a statement from the UK government declaring its controversial ad targeting technology legal.The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has released a statement to European Union in response to questions from regulators. The statement said that Phorm is able to operate under existing laws.
"Users will be presented with an unavoidable statement about the product and asked to exercise choice about whether to be involved," the statement read. "Users will be able to easily access information on how to change their mind at any point and are free to opt in or out of the scheme," it continued.
By partnering with ISPs (Internet Service Providers) including BT, Phorm can target ads at users signed up to the providers. Phorm has unleashed a PR offensive having seen media scrutiny and consumer concerns grow to the point where anti-Phorm pressure groups have been formed.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorm
But it is very important that ISPs do make their customers aware and really they are going to have to offer some sort of incentive to get people to cooperate (like a discount on their ISP bill).
But it is very important that ISPs do make their customers aware and really they are going to have to offer some sort of incentive to get people to cooperate (like a discount on their ISP bill).
It's an opt-out system, not opt-in, which means they are forcing it on people, and people have to specifically state that they don't want to be in the programme.
This is wrong, it should be in opt-in system, but they know damn well that most people wouldn't opt in at all. I mean, who really wants to say, "yeah, show me adverts!"
OR: If they are partnering with ISP's, are we even able to opt out, or does our ISP have to opt out?
It pretty much sounds like an opt-in? Some people just _look_ for reasons to complain...
If they are willing to share some of that money with their customers (ie make it "Opt in and we'll knock 2 quid off your monthly bill"
So long as users get the choice and there is an incentive to be part of the Phorm marketing then that's fine.
If the ISPs make it "Opt out" and have no plans to share the cash then they can go swivel.
There will be. If I'm not mistaken, what this does is replace existing ads with their own. Aside from the fact that it undermines the internet as a whole, it just means that adblock will be blocking different ads than it normally would.
I'd rather they didn't do this at all, though. I have no idea of the extent of this "deep packet inspection" and just how much information they actually can get out of me so I'll be saying no if my ISP ever tries this ****.
There will be. If I'm not mistaken, what this does is replace existing ads with their own. Aside from the fact that it undermines the internet as a whole, it just means that adblock will be blocking different ads than it normally would.
I'd rather they didn't do this at all, though. I have no idea of the extent of this "deep packet inspection" and just how much information they actually can get out of me so I'll be saying no if my ISP ever tries this ****.
just to clarify, they dont replace existing ads. it is just another ad network like google/clicksor/adbrite etc. Websites put the code in the pages to use Phorm ads. Phorm then looks at users history and selected relevant ads, if they arent profiling that user, they fall back to the google/adbrite/clicksor/etc methods which is using page content.
I don't swear that often, however I think we all know what ff's means!
We should baton down the hatches and become communist a.s.a.p.
If anyone believes this is purely for adverts only, then why *is* the UK's Home Office bending over backwards to facilitate something that's supposed to be a commercial concern only? The whole affair stinks to high heaven.
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