ISPs to sell browsing history!!

[stomach]

Have just seen a report today which states that three of the largest ISPs, BT, Talk Talk and Virgin are looking to sell your browsing history to a company called Phorm. Phorm will then use these details to provide you with adverts relevant to the site that you are browsing, i.e. if you were looking at TVs, adverts would 'pop up' suggesting items that may be of interest to you.

The thing that really worries me is that they are in effect monitoring the sites that you visit as you actually visit them, otherwise how would they know what adverts to suggest? I thought that there was a law that prohibited the interference of telecommunicatios, but I suppose that means nothing to TPTB.

Is this another case of testing an idea that at first seems harmless to most, but will end up with everyone's internet usage being monitored and access to certain sites would be refused?:mad:

[killmicrosoft]

More info at
http://www.phorm.com/


and about bt

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2399fa82-28ff-11dd-96ce-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

[kblood]

There are things called cookies and tracking cookies, which is basicly spyware. Spyware that is allowed by most browsers. Also many website keeps a history about where visitors on their site came from before comming to their site, and what site they went to next. As long as it is the same browser window then that shouldnt be hard to get information.

Also its quite easy for a website to get information about your computer, what browser it is using and maybe a few hardware specs.

So it usually doesnt take an ISP with a loose hold on user information for companies to make these surveys. Usually these surveys somewhat make themselves and if they need help from an ISP to make them, well then they suck at making them. As far as I know, most ISPs actually do protect their users data unless court orders are used.

I know my ISP probably wont even give away user data even with a court order, they would have to take it to court first. Its too much against their code of conduct. My ISP is also where I work ;) Well, maybe a court order would make my ISP give away data about who is behind some IP adress, but without a court order that just doesnt happen.

[killmicrosoft]

kblood

do some homework


it will become law


its ignorance like this that has got us t the state we are in

[kingmonkey]

It makes you wonder where your data will ultimately end up...What will this phorm co. be allowed by law to do with your data once they have it?

[rixxmixxhell]

Once ive reserched this a little, or as much as i can, i will phone my ISP and warn them not too, and declare the code of conduct and other legalities they would be braking, and the new rules that alow them to do so has been pushed without our knowlege....and cancel my account. I have nearly qhit with them twice, and each time they have offered my money of this, free this, extra that blah blah....ill also tell them 6 others will quit with them. Goto stand up, no matter how small it is.