Ofcom has held talks with Detica, a BAE subsidiary that specialises in data gathering and processing, about the possible use of its Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) called CView. The technology could be used to help monitor file sharing (P2P) traffic on broadband ISP networks and measure the level of illegal downloading among users.

The Register points to Detica's September 2009 Government Submission on tackling P2P for some additional background information, which suggests that both ISPs and Rights Holders should share the cost of its system. If adopted it would surely raise a few eyebrows and open the floodgates to a mass of privacy campaigners and concerned consumers.


The information suggests that CView would not so much be used to target individual users as to assess the level of piracy on a network, which is information that Rights Holders could obviously use to their advantage. It also claims to involve anonymous data collection, much like we recall Phorm doing and look how well that held up (not very). It’s less clear is how the system will identify illegal content, especially with encryption being so easy to adopt.


It's understood that Detica is hoping to run beta trials with an unknown UK ISP sometime in the near future, though major ISPs like Virgin Media , Sky Broadband and BT claim not to be involved. Indeed you'd have to be a little crazy, after the Phorm palava, to volunteer for something like this.

The BPI, UK Music and Performing Rights Society (PRS) are all known to have met with Detica and discussed CView, with the BPI unsurprisingly finding it interesting. Despite claiming that "CView does not, and cannot, identify individual internet users," it appears as though ISPs could still use it for a similar purpose. This is one to keep an eye on.