BT Bans Talking About Phorm, Erases Earlier Discussions
from the we-were-always-at-war-with-Eurasia dept
You may recall that BT was one of the bigger supporters of Phorm, the controversial clickstream tracking system that would allow ISPs like BT to insert their own behaviorally targeted ads into your web surfing. The company held extensive trials with the system, without letting users know that their clickstream data was being sold to advertisers in order to do more targeted advertising. Now that UK officials have decided that Phorm is legal, if clearly explained to consumers, BT has chosen a funny way to make sure there's clarity around the system. Slashdot points out that BT has apparently banned discussion of Phorm on its forums and erased earlier forum discussions about the technology. How's that for openness?Is it really so hard to allow open discussion on such a topic? If BT believes that it's reasonable to use the technology, then why not explain why clearly, responding to the critics? The only reason to erase these discussions is if BT knows that what's it's doing is highly questionable, and BT would rather not have to explain itself.
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Filed Under: bans, clickstream tracking, secrecy
Companies: bt, phorm
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It's sad how common that sort of thing is.
Even if we assume that the reason that they were taking care of those particular threads is because they weren't in the appropriate section, why delete them? Why not just close them and tell the original poster to recreate it elsewhere? Why not simply move it to a more appropriate section? It's almost like they're asking for negative press.
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Re:
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Can ANY Democratic System declare Communication Wiretapping Legal?
What happens when we cheapen Human Rights?
http://un.org/Overview/rights.html
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
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Anyway, the headline in itself is slightly disturbing. To think that a teleco would 'ban' discussion of something...does this mean my phoneline is going to get disconnected if I mention it during a call?
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Essential public service providers that get transformed into private enterprises with no competition are about the most anti-consumer, anti-free-market, anti-anything-bloody-working invention ever, and sadly they have been something of a British obsession in recent years.
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Re:
For Instance:-
I always thought that tampering with goods in transit without due procedure was Illegal as well!
So many Laws & Rules broken by this system!
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A Very One-sided Discussion
An alternative interpretation of BT’s behaviour is that those forum threads no longer serve any purpose, as BT are about to pull the plug on this particular, ill-fated project.
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Clickstream Club
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BT's Right to Exercise Editorial Control
Don't spoil your argument criticising an aspect of BT's behaviour where it ifs fully justified.
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BT's Right to Exercise Editorial Control
Don't spoil your argument criticising an aspect of BT's behaviour where it ifs fully justified.
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re:BT's Right to Exercise Editorial Control
The question is - why have they done it and don't you think it's a bit daft from a PR point of view?
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@Sungei Patani
If I recall correctly the BT forum was set up to discuss technical aspects of BTs service. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but Webwise seems to be a new and fairly technical aspect of BT's product line and, as such, fully within the scope of the discussion forum.
Obviously, BT's forums are it's own and from which they can delete what they wish but it's highly curoious that the policy is being applied very exclusively to Webwise.
Sorry, but the stated purpose of the BT forum is for technical aspects of BTs products. If BT doesn't like the postings, perhaps it is perhaps because the product is not acceptable to the technically competent, rather than the posting being unpalatable to BT.
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Re: A Very One-Sided Discussion
Do you mean the Apropos Rootkit and it's unannounced installation on users PCs, concealed within the installer for other applications or the indeoendent reviews of Phorm's product which turn out to be less than independent?
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Daft buggers!
Yeah. It's be akin to having one's views on share prices 'edited' in the iii discussion forum. iii is into share dealing and could be similarly argued as having control over its forums.
That would make just as much sense as BT'#s actions over technical comments in its technical forums.
Idiot.
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