Comments on: Phorm: A New Paradigm in Internet Advertising

By: Technology, Thoughts, and Trinkets» Packet Headers and Privacy

Technology, Thoughts, and Trinkets» Packet Headers and Privacy — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:04:28 +0000

[...] software to shield citizens from threats posed by three-strikes laws, and alter the payload content of data packets for advertising. After touching the payload – and oftentimes being burned by regulators – it seems as [...]

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:36:49 +0000

While conceding for the sake of argument that DPI may have some legitimate uses, this isn’t one of them. It’s impossible to implement this technology without a fundamental invasion of privacy.

In order to provide this service, they need to not only read all of you communications, but keep it for an unspecified period of time to learn your habits. Not only is this like the post office photocopying every letter you send, or the phone company recording your every conversation, it’s also like someone following you around with a video camera recording your every move. They’re then free to sell this information to anyone they wish.

The fact that it’s recorded makes it open to misuse, both through “permitted” access and unauthorized access. There are no positives to this other than a new revenue stream for Phorm and your ISP. Ultimately, you pay for that too, even if it isn’t in your access fees.

This is just plain scary. Stop this at all costs.

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:23:44 +0000

In a nutshell, Phorm is

- Mass communication surveillance
- Mass industrial espionage
- Mass intellectual property infringement

Brook forgot to mention Phorm’s past. They once traded under the name 121Media. Google for 121Media and Apropos.

In 2006, and 2007, Phorm tested communication surveillance on tens of thousand (perhaps hundreds of thousands) of people and the web sites they used without consent.

Protect your right to private personal and commercial telecommunications.

STOP PHORM

Visit Dephormation.org.uk for more info.

By: R Jones

R Jones — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:08:54 +0000

It’s always interesting reading articles written by Phorm representatives. If they were all I had read on the subject, I would not know that their system involved the interception of communications, or equipment installed in the heart of the ISP, or the redirection of browser traffic, or even that uniquely amongst behavioural advertising practitioners, Phorm practise Deep Packet Inspection, because they never mention this. I would know nothing about the unavoidable, without consent, processing carried out by Phorm-programmed, and Phorm-supplied equipment within the heart of their partner ISPs. I would know nothing about the placing of misleading cookies containing 3rd party domain names and trademarks, without consent of the 3rd party webmaster, and I would know nothing about the system being unable to cope with recognising (and avoiding) cookie authenticated private web pages such as Friends pages on Facebook. I would not realise that their system operates in several parts, of which the OIX is the only one they seem willing to discuss in public. When you read an article about Phorm, do a page search on “interception”, “redirection”, and “Deep Packet Inspection”. If you get zero hits, you can usually predict that the author works for Phorm. When you debate with Phorm, always ask about what happens in their partner ISPs, in the equipment Phorm program and supply. My ISP is BT, here in the UK, and getting either BT or Phorm to discuss these matters is virtually impossible.