Posted by paul on April 28, 2009 – 7:17 am
Photo by Oranje
The BBC reports today that the UK Government Home Office colluded with internet tracking firm Phorm.
It appears that the Home Office were working with Phorm in drawing up guidance advice on targeted adverts. Home Office officials also offered “personal” advice as to whether the technology acted as an interception of communications, and whether it was lawful or not.
Phorm proposes to monitor users internet usage in conjunction with partner ISPs (such as BT) to deliver targeted behavioural adverts to internet users. BT has already trialled the Phorm technology without warning users that their personal and private web-surfing habits were being recorded and analysed by Phorm. Privacy experts are worried about the Phorm technology because it performs what is known as deep packet inspection of internet traffic.
DPI will allow ISPs and companies such as Phorm to see exactly what a web surfer or e-mailer is doing on the internet.
There is a debate as to whether DPI counts as communications interception for which a legal warrent is required in the UK. In April 2009 the EU started legal action against Britain for allowing data interception without users consent.
Via BBC
Posted by paul on April 27, 2009 – 3:31 am
A recent poll by the Metro newspaper showed that most people don’t want their internet browsing and e-mails intercepted by the UK Government.
The UK Government recently introduced new laws requiring all ISPs and telecommunication companies to record details about all internet traffic, e-mails and telephone calls that pass through their systems.
In the survey 60% of Britons rejected the European directive requiring all communications to be recorded to help crack down on criminals.
It appears that people don’t trust the UK Government to store and analyse the data correctly.
Maybe the Government wants to keep track of all that Viagra spam you’ve been receiving?
Posted by paul on April 23, 2009 – 3:11 am
A recent BBC Wales News story tells how counties in North Wales are launching a scheme to provide GPS tracking of school buses and to make it available to parents. So parent will now be able to track their precious child to and from school. It’s all being rolled out in the name of reducing unruly behaviour on the buses.
The organisers Zoom say “…We don’t believe it is (spying on the children). We think it is a way of ensuring that the system works a lot better…” They also say “…The system is actually very secure. There’s no information on the (ID) cards that the pupils will be given themselves. It’s all held on a database and it’s obviously governed by data protection.”
Well that’s OK then given the UK Government’s record on securing our personal data in Government databases. As safe as houses!
Posted by paul on April 23, 2009 – 2:25 am
In the UK as individuals we seem to be under increasing scrutiny from Government and Big Business. Our personal privacy is under attack and everything we do seems to be recorded using new technology – from big brother cameras on the street to government mandated ISP tracking, to Phorm, to ANPR tracking as you drive your car.
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