Amazon blocks Phorm adverts scan

sjb007 · 04-16-2009, 01:48 AM

Amazon has said it will not allow online advertising system Phorm to scan its web pages to produce targeted ads.

Phorm builds a profile of users by scanning for keywords on websites visited and then assigns relevant ads.

It has proved controversial because it scans almost all sites a user visits and there is an ongoing political debate about how a user gives consent.

Last month the Open Rights Group wrote to the world's leading websites asking them to opt out of Phorm.

Phorm has conducted trials with BT of its technology, which is marketed as Webwise. BT plans to roll out the service to users after analysing the results of the trials.

In a statement, Amazon UK said: "We have contacted Webwise requesting that we opt out for all of our domains."

The company declined to comment further on the reasons behind its decision.

In a statement, Phorm said: "There is a process in place to allow publishers to contact Phorm and opt out of the system, but we do not comment on individual cases."

Last month the Open Rights Group wrote to the chief privacy officers at Microsoft, Google/Youtube, Facebook, AOL/Bebo, Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay urging them to opt-out of Phorm.

Amazon is the first company to give any sort of response at all.

Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, said: We expect more sites to block Webwise in the near future and also ISPs to drop plans to snoop on web users."

He said other sites - LiveJournal, mySociety and Netmums - had contacted the Open Rights Group to say they too would be blocking Phorm's technology.

Earlier this week the European Commission said it was starting legal action against the UK over its data protection laws in relation to Phorm's technology.

The European Commission has described the technology as an "interception" of user data and wants UK law to reflect more explicitly the need for consent from users in order for the service to be implemented.

At present, UK law only covers "intentional" interceptions and requires there only to be a "reasonable grounds for believing" that consent to interception has been given.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7999635.stm

**koala** · 04-16-2009, 06:46 AM

Firefox users can install the Dephormation addon to improve their online privacy.

https://www.dephormation.org.uk/?page=3

Quote:

The Dephormation Add On ensures that your decision to permanently 'opt out' of Phorm profiling cannot be undone in Firefox. It reinstates your opt out cookie with every page load, and randomises your UID. Even if you delete all cookies regularly.

Optionally, the Add On can also alert you to sites using Phorm/ Webwise/ OIX profile based advertising.

**Glaswegian** · 04-16-2009, 02:58 PM

Nice one koala - thanks. Virginmedia seem to be considering Phorm as well so I've now installed the addon.

**koala** · 04-17-2009, 06:55 AM

http://www.p2pnet.net/story/20507

Quote:

Deep Privacy Invasion firm Phorm has received a slap in the face from another major organisation.

Following complaints to the European Commission about how the privacy pirate tested its behavioural advertising ’service’ on BT users in the UK without their knowledge or permmission, the EC has started legal action against Britain.

The Open Rights Group wrote to Microsoft, Google/Youtube, Facebook, AOL/Bebo, Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay urging them to opt-out of Phorm and soon after, Amazon said it won’t allow the company to, “scan its web pages to produce targeted ads,” according to the BBC.

Will it be the first of many? - p2pnet wondered.

Now, “The Wikimedia Foundation requests that our web sites including Wikipedia.org and all related domains be excluded from scanning by the Phorm / BT Webwise system, as we consider the scanning and profiling of our visitors’ behavior by a third party to be an infringement on their privacy,” it says in a letter to Phorm.

Affected are 83 domains which should be excluded and, “please exclude any and all subdomains as well,” says the foundation.

Mcninjaguy · 04-18-2009, 02:25 AM

seems that my ISP is being investitaged for DPI (deep packet inspection)

The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic recently announced that they are making a request to the privacy commissioner to investigate Canadian major Internet Service Provider Bell Canada. The complaint is directed at Deep Packet Inspection technology.

Internet Service Providers (ISP) have a legal sore spot these days - that sore spot is internet intervention on the ISP level. In Canada, a form of that sore spot may be in the form of Deep Packet Intervention and its impact on privacy. Considering the kind of privacy laws Canada has, it may prove very interesting to see where this goes. A hint on the kind of privacy laws that are in place is the fact that Canada has commissioners dedicated to privacy which is often said is a rarity in the world today.
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9479/pr...ver_filtering/

Seems like good news to me as Canada isn't following the stupid world trend of letting giant media companies control ISP's

**koala** · 07-06-2009, 07:53 AM

Update.

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...cy-and-the-net

Quote:

BT drops Phorm targeted ad service after customers cry foul over privacy

BT [British Telecom] has quietly ditched a controversial system that tracks the internet habits of its customers, developed by the technology firm Phorm, which has been attacked as online snooping by privacy campaigners. BT was a key player in the development of Phorm's Webwise system, which uses information about which sites an internet user visits to target them with relevant advertising on subsequent pages.

It carried out secret tests of the technology in 2006 and 2007 which are now the basis of a European commission investigation into the UK government's failure to protect its citizens online. Last year BT carried out a proper consumer trial of Phorm's technology. The results have been keenly awaited, not just by management at Phorm – whose chairman is former chancellor Norman Lamont – but by its other two potential partners, Virgin Media and TalkTalk.

But BT has decided not to proceed with rolling out Webwise to its 4.8 million broadband customers, dealing a heavy blow to AIM-listed Phorm. The company, which has received complaints from customers about Phorm, said the decision was down to its need to conserve resources as it looks to invest £1.5bn in putting a next-generation super-fast broadband network within reach of 10 million homes by 2012. Privately, however, BT bosses have been increasingly concerned about consumer resistance to advertising based on monitoring users' online behaviour and specifically about the backlash against Phorm.

In other words, if internet users hadn't complained so loudly about the massive invasion of privacy, BT and Phorm would have continued. Victory!

Mcninjaguy · 07-06-2009, 04:06 PM

Yay, congrats to the privacy crusaders!

04-16-2009, 01:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
sjb007 Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Lincoln UK Posts: 2,276 OS: Windows 7 Premium x64 My System	Amazon blocks Phorm adverts scan Amazon has said it will not allow online advertising system Phorm to scan its web pages to produce targeted ads. Phorm builds a profile of users by scanning for keywords on websites visited and then assigns relevant ads. It has proved controversial because it scans almost all sites a user visits and there is an ongoing political debate about how a user gives consent. Last month the Open Rights Group wrote to the world's leading websites asking them to opt out of Phorm. Phorm has conducted trials with BT of its technology, which is marketed as Webwise. BT plans to roll out the service to users after analysing the results of the trials. In a statement, Amazon UK said: "We have contacted Webwise requesting that we opt out for all of our domains." The company declined to comment further on the reasons behind its decision. In a statement, Phorm said: "There is a process in place to allow publishers to contact Phorm and opt out of the system, but we do not comment on individual cases." Last month the Open Rights Group wrote to the chief privacy officers at Microsoft, Google/Youtube, Facebook, AOL/Bebo, Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay urging them to opt-out of Phorm. Amazon is the first company to give any sort of response at all. Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, said: We expect more sites to block Webwise in the near future and also ISPs to drop plans to snoop on web users." He said other sites - LiveJournal, mySociety and Netmums - had contacted the Open Rights Group to say they too would be blocking Phorm's technology. Earlier this week the European Commission said it was starting legal action against the UK over its data protection laws in relation to Phorm's technology. The European Commission has described the technology as an "interception" of user data and wants UK law to reflect more explicitly the need for consent from users in order for the service to be implemented. At present, UK law only covers "intentional" interceptions and requires there only to be a "reasonable grounds for believing" that consent to interception has been given. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7999635.stm __________________ If we have helped you then please consider donating Proud Member of ASAP & UNITE Since 2007 Last edited by sjb007; 04-16-2009 at 01:50 AM.

04-16-2009, 02:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
Glaswegian Moderator/ Rangemaster TSF Academy; Analyst, Security Team; Oor Wullie; TSF Surgeon and Resident Comic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Glasgow Posts: 25,499 OS: Win XP Pro SP3 / Win 7 Pro My System Blog Entries: 10	Re: Amazon blocks Phorm adverts scan Nice one koala - thanks. Virginmedia seem to be considering Phorm as well so I've now installed the addon. __________________ Iain - Defender of the Haggis and all things Scottish. I don't help by PM - post in the Forums. PC Safety & Security::PC running a bit slow?::Donate::Photographers Corner

04-18-2009, 02:25 AM	#5 (permalink)
Mcninjaguy Temporarily Banned Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 10,422 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Amazon blocks Phorm adverts scan seems that my ISP is being investitaged for DPI (deep packet inspection) The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic recently announced that they are making a request to the privacy commissioner to investigate Canadian major Internet Service Provider Bell Canada. The complaint is directed at Deep Packet Inspection technology. Internet Service Providers (ISP) have a legal sore spot these days - that sore spot is internet intervention on the ISP level. In Canada, a form of that sore spot may be in the form of Deep Packet Intervention and its impact on privacy. Considering the kind of privacy laws Canada has, it may prove very interesting to see where this goes. A hint on the kind of privacy laws that are in place is the fact that Canada has commissioners dedicated to privacy which is often said is a rarity in the world today. http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9479/pr...ver_filtering/ Seems like good news to me as Canada isn't following the stupid world trend of letting giant media companies control ISP's Last edited by Mcninjaguy; 04-18-2009 at 02:26 AM.

07-06-2009, 04:06 PM	#7 (permalink)
Mcninjaguy Temporarily Banned Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 10,422 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Amazon blocks Phorm adverts scan Yay, congrats to the privacy crusaders!