Phorm, which controversially works with UK broadband ISPs (e.g. BT WebWise) to monitor what websites you visit for use in targeted advertising campaigns, has launched a new website aimed at countering what it sees as a "smear campaign" by privacy advocates - StopPhoulplay.com.
Most half intelligent senior politicians probably already know that fighting an alleged smear with another smear isn't the best way to go about improving your image. Unfortunately this is largely how the new site reads.
It's a shame because Phorm appears to have wasted a golden opportunity. They could have launched a more technical and open-access site that competently attempted to tackle the legitimate concerns and complaints many would appear to hold against their service. We live in hope.
Phorm's Press Release
To correct any misconceptions about Phorm’s groundbreaking technology, we are today launching StopPhoulplay.com.
Over the last year Phorm and its staff have been the subject of a concerted campaign orchestrated by a small but dedicated band of detractors who appear determined to harm our company, irrespective of the facts, and the potential benefits to UK consumers and websites and advertisers.
Their energetic blogging and letter-writing campaigns, targeted at journalists, MPs, EU officials and regulators, distort the truth and misrepresent Phorm’s technology. Phorm has responded to all of their allegations with accurate information about our technology on user consent, data storage, and anonymity, only to see our detractors systematically propagate stories in direct contradiction to the facts. We have regretfully come to the conclusion that they are not interested in either the answers, or an open and honest debate on the issues.
The StopPhoulplay.com website exposes and rebuts the accusations against Phorm, reveals who is behind the campaign, and sets out the true story, so that the media and consumers can judge the facts for themselves.
Phorm is happy to engage with valid and robust criticism, we know there are concerns about internet privacy, and we are happy to speak with regulators, publishers, advertisers, the media and consumers to allay those concerns, and prove we offer a higher level of privacy than current internet standards.
To correct any misconceptions about Phorm’s groundbreaking technology, we are today launching StopPhoulplay.com.
Over the last year Phorm and its staff have been the subject of a concerted campaign orchestrated by a small but dedicated band of detractors who appear determined to harm our company, irrespective of the facts, and the potential benefits to UK consumers and websites and advertisers.
Their energetic blogging and letter-writing campaigns, targeted at journalists, MPs, EU officials and regulators, distort the truth and misrepresent Phorm’s technology. Phorm has responded to all of their allegations with accurate information about our technology on user consent, data storage, and anonymity, only to see our detractors systematically propagate stories in direct contradiction to the facts. We have regretfully come to the conclusion that they are not interested in either the answers, or an open and honest debate on the issues.
The StopPhoulplay.com website exposes and rebuts the accusations against Phorm, reveals who is behind the campaign, and sets out the true story, so that the media and consumers can judge the facts for themselves.
Phorm is happy to engage with valid and robust criticism, we know there are concerns about internet privacy, and we are happy to speak with regulators, publishers, advertisers, the media and consumers to allay those concerns, and prove we offer a higher level of privacy than current internet standards.
Most half intelligent senior politicians probably already know that fighting an alleged smear with another smear isn't the best way to go about improving your image. Unfortunately this is largely how the new site reads.
It's a shame because Phorm appears to have wasted a golden opportunity. They could have launched a more technical and open-access site that competently attempted to tackle the legitimate concerns and complaints many would appear to hold against their service. We live in hope.
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Comments: 6
LamontablePosted: 28 April, 2009 - 2:36 PM
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"They could have launched a more technical and open-access site that competently attempted to tackle the legitimate concerns and complaints many would appear to hold against their service. We live in hope."
That's not phorm's way is it?
CowherdPosted: 28 April, 2009 - 2:47 PM
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Phorm can't launch a "more technical and open access site" because the technical details of Phorm, as described by Richard Clayton, show it to be indefensibly intrusive.
Actually the StopPhoulPlay site is, possibly, one of the best things Phorm could do for us "Privacy Pirates". It semi-literate ranting and obvious economy of truth shows Phorm (the company, rather than the technology) in a the worst possible light.
DavePosted: 28 April, 2009 - 3:39 PM
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It seems to me that the technology behind Phorm isn't necessarily a bad thing. The company seems to have gone about developing and implementing this in an indefensible way. As others have said, they have missed a golden opportunity to explain Phorm and have instead shown themselves to be very poor at customer relations.
Carrot63Posted: 28 April, 2009 - 3:45 PM
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Wow, you'd love have been a fly on the wall at THAT strategy meeting! Some of the rhetoric on that site is positively delusional, and all of it is highly selective, cutting off quotes just before they are given context.
As mentioned by Cowherd, I think Richard Clayton's report is all that is necessary to know about how phorm works; fair, neutral and precise, it leaves little opportunity for phorm to contest its conclusions, and frankly, if they tried to do so as irrationally as they're hitting at their detractors on StopPhoulPlay, they'd be as well to just give up and put an ad on Loot for the office furniture.
I wonder how pleased Simon Davies is to have his quotes co-opted once more as a fig leaf? And he's not even getting paid this time.
timelessPosted: 28 April, 2009 - 11:13 PM
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Phorm have proved yet again that they will stoop to any childish means to force their system onto the UK, their lack of full publication of their technology shows us that our privacy concerns are just, and their way of dealing with us who have concerns is to send out their PR teams to visit forums pretending to be users who try turn debates into pro Phorm ones.. its not going happen.
on another point they proved yet again, they will go to any length to twist the truth, in order to gain proper truths one needs to be a neutral party, who is neither for or against, however in this case lm all for the privacy advocates who want to see the back of Phorm, after all they are just as much against the secret trials as l am and just as enraged about the investigation by London police into their activities.
kdsPosted: 1 May, 2009 - 3:53 PM
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this funny, phorm have too much time on their hands :D
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