Posted: 31st May, 2008 By: MarkJ
Alexander Hanff, an opponent of Phorm's questionable advertising system and the author of a well written legal analysis on the same subject (
here), is to protest BT's involvement in the technology outside of the operators annual general meeting in London during July.
Just in case anybody has forgotten, Phorm works with ISPs to develop targeted advertising campaigns by anonymously monitoring the websites you visit:
The campaigners want BT to pull out of plans to intercept its broadband customers' web browsing and searches and profile them for targeted advertising. They will gather at the Barbican on 16 July to make their case to shareholders and the public.
The protest is being organised by Alex Hanff, a prominent opponent of Phorm and its technology. He said: "The purpose of the protest is to make BT shareholders aware of the past and planned use of allegedly illegal interception technologies to sell behavioural profiles to an ex-spyware company."
"It is very important that ISPs remain conduits as opposed to content managers."
The Register also reminds us that a Downing Street petition against the technology has managed to gain
13,555 signatures. It's interesting to note that part of the protest will involve campaigners trying to get the Metropolitan Police to investigate BT's secret 2006 and 2007 trials of Phorm:
Stage 4: 16:00 - 17:00March to Charing Cross Metropolitan Police Station via Fleet Street and The Strand. Once there we hand over the case file and a petition, requesting a crime reference number and an official statement on whether or not they intend to investigate.
During all stages there will be a petition available for people to sign, demanding that the Metropolitan Police investigate the covert trials of 2006/2007 under RIPA, Computer Misuse Act, Fraud Act. This petition will be supplemented with:
- Dr Richard Claytons Technical Report
- Mr Nicholas Bohms Legal Report
- Home Office statement saying it is the responsibility of the police
- EU Commission Statement stating it is illegal
- Alexander Hanffs Dissertation
- Signed and witnessed statements from victims of the trials
Those interested in joining Hanff can find the campaign here:
http://www.nodpi.org