Davey Winder
Friday, 05 September 2008 22:02
IT Industry -
Market
Page 1 of 2
File under About Bloody Time. At long last UK police detectives have questioned BT about the secret Phorm trials it carried out without customer knowledge nor consent. Does this mean a formal investigation is to follow?
Just a month ago iTWire
reported how BT has been running
secret technology trials to test the Phorm Webwise behavioral
advertising system.
At the time our story was concerned with the
efforts the European Union Commissioner for Information Society and
Media, Viviane Reding, was making to pursue possible data protection
law infringements.
Although we have not heard any more with regard to the UK Government
response to her probings, the deadline of 'until the end of the month
to respond' has been and gone.
Perhaps it is a coincidence, or maybe not, that we have today learned
that detectives from the City of London police have this week
questioned BT as "part of a probe into the covert wiretapping and
profiling of the internet use of tens of thousands" during those trials.
It has emerged that officers have been examining an evidence dossier,
presented to them by privacy campaigners, following a demonstration
against the BT trials back in June.
BT had been running these secret technology trials to test the Phorm
Webwise system without informing the customers whose data was being
used and whose habits were being monitored as a result.
In fact, BT even initially denied all accusations of any such trials
and went as far as suggesting that the redirects customers who
complained had experienced must have been caused by malware.
We should learn if there is to be a formal investigation into the BT
Phorm trials within a couple of weeks. It will depend largely upon
whether the City of London police feel they have jurisdiction to
investigate the crime.
Why the wait? Surely BT broke the law? And what about Phorm, how have the markets responded to the fuss? See page 2 for more...
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