BAD PHORM

An email from my Leeds correspondent alerts me to a morsel of good news as published on the BBC News Web Site. UK internet service provider TalkTalk has pulled the plug on its agreement with online behaviour tracking firm Phorm.
It follows news earlier in the week that BT had no immediate plans to use the service.

Phorm has developed technology which collects information on web use in order to better target adverts but it has proved extremely controversial.
The loss of its key partners saw Phorm's shares tumble by more than 50%.
TalkTalk's plans were not as advanced as BT which had undertaken three trials of the technology.

"The directors note that this relationship had not extended to any form of trial in contrast to BT and some international internet service providers," a statement from Phorm read. It also noted that "privacy was not a factor" in BT's decision to pull the plug on the technology. (Yeah Right!)

Surprise surprise, Virgin Media, which also expressed interest in the system, was still reviewing it, according to Phorm. Phorm is also currently trialling its software with South Korea's largest ISP and is in discussion about the use of the technology with ISPs in 15 other countries.

I first came across this outfit a couple of years back when BBC's "You and Yours" carried an item about them and their activities. There was much concern amongst some journalists and technorati that although this info gathering technology was theoretically anonymous, it could actually be used to gather much more than merely marketing info. As if we needed any more surveillance in this septic isle.

As i was just switching from the rapidly sinking AOL to BT i was concerned that I was literally leaping from the frying pan into the fire. I contacted BT by phone and spoke to a few of their staff, none of whome claimed to know anything about Phorm or its activities. I did warn them that if they went ahead with plans to use it for info gathering it would be Sayanora from me and probably many more of its customers. They of course promised to get back to me but never did. (Bad Buggers, BT),

I can only surmise that their plans were greeted by much opprobrium amongst their customers and that this outweighed the perceived beneifts. No doubt it would have course also fallen fowl of the Credit Crunch as BTs plans to dump 10% of its staff this year confirms. A funny name Phorm, seems that they have left the F Off, and glad I am that they did.