Forum Topic

BT Talktalk & Virgin Media ISP`s are selling your browsing history.

BT, Talktalk and Virgin Media have signed up with Phorm who will monitor your browsing history for advertisers. The Evening Standard quotes Ross Anderson, Prof of Security Engineering at Cambridge University "The message has to be this. If you care about your privacy do not use BT, Virgin or TalkTalk as your internet providers"Forum readers please refer to The Evening Standard report and badphorm.co.ukWhat do you think?                          

Robert Darke ● 6783d9 Comments

Robert, practically every organisation from our banks to our credit card providers, the Tesco Club Card etc. sell on information about our spending habits and interests. Every time you supply your address to any company you get blitzed with junk mail. They try to categorise your particular taste and spend ability in order to market what they think they can sell to you - and mostly they are wasting their time as we are all very individual and extremely eclectic in our tastes - it just generates more paper for the recycling bin. The only way to preserve any privacy is to fill in as little information as possible on any forms - I put N/A in every unnecessary box to try and minimise the junk mail.

S. D. Brock ● 6783d

I think your right Sheila, change one's ID and live a subsistace level in a remote cave somewhere is the only answer.

Colin Vaughan ● 6783d

LOL, Colin - I think you might still get mail about furniture or a nice bit of double glazing for your cave!

S. D. Brock ● 6783d

The mail preference service http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/ is, I find, Very effective at blocking addressed mail.

Francis House ● 6783d

But only snail mail - it doesn't have an email version does it? though it would be a fab idea.

Sara Nathan ● 6782d

"But only snail mail - it doesn't have an email version does it?"The email version is the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.  In other words, there's no need to register your wish not to receive unsolicited marketing emails because they are (mostly) illegal anyway.Two caveats:  (1) Marketing emails are allowed if the recipient's details "were obtained in the context of a commercial relationship and the marketing is for similar products or services" (but you must be given an opportunity to opt out in every such email).(2) it doesn't protect you from spam originating outside the UK, though if it's clearly being sent by an overseas agent promoting a named British company, you may be able to get the Information Commissioner to take action.Further details on the Information Commissioner's site at http://tinyurl.com/yra8pt

Richard Jennings ● 6782d

Perhaps this comes under caveat 1.Badphorm states:- Phorm sees the entire content of every single web page you visit(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.

Robert Darke ● 6779d

"Perhaps this comes under caveat 1.Badphorm states:- Phorm sees the entire content of every single web page you visit ..."My caveat 1 would only be relevant if an unsolicited marketing email was sent to you as a result of monitoring your web usage. And if the mail was from a company that you had no commercial relationship with, it would be illegal.This is what Virgin Media say about Phorm and their product "Webwise". Note that they say that use of Webwise will be optional.Protecting your privacyWebwise has been designed from the ground up to protect your privacy and anonymity. As the system only learns about topics of interest, it does this anonymously, ensuring your privacy is completely protected.We found that this system met our high standards for simplicity and privacy – so your privacy is assured. These privacy standards were also verified independently by Ernst & Young who conducted a detailed audit of the whole process and Webwise solution.As a Virgin Media customer, you won’t be forced to use Webwise, so you’ll be able to keep your internet experience as it is now.We are currently at the early stages of working to deliver the Webwise solution and will be writing to you nearer the time to advise when the solution will be ‘switched on’ providing more detail of what this will mean to you. Given the benefits of Webwise, we’re pleased to be offering you this service and making your web experience safer and more relevant.Virgin Media[From http://www.virginmedia.com/customers/webwise.phpI have no connection with Virgin Media other than as a customer.]

Richard Jennings ● 6778d

I feel when we make a contract with our service provider that we expect the service to remain in-house. I`m already very against the DVLA selling our car and home address details which should have remained the preserve of the police as well as the authority, and who would previously have screened enquiries.

Robert Darke ● 6775d