with the DPI technology every un-secure (none encrypted) connection you make to the net can be logged and stored, this is a fact.

My caller display unit is collecting far more personally identifiable information than Phorm. Things like 'Phorm is monitoring my MSN' is just not true.

Edited by deleted (Tue 30-Dec-08 01:10:57)

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Things like 'Phorm is monitoring my MSN' is just not true.

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You could very well be right there, but it is 90% of the way there in terms of being able to.

As I keep saying, won't it be nice for the (Labour) Government surveillance machine for Phorm to get all the bugs out, and for processor, storage and search advances over the next 2 years to supply the remaining 10%!

And could any government then ditch it? Lke the 70mph speed limit?

Except there is an easy way for callers to opt out of the CID system (either permanently, or by dialling a prefix).
There is no way for customers of BT broadband (or any other ISP involved in this Phorm scam) to opt out of Phorm.

Except, of course, by clicking the 'Opt Out ' button

That's very generous of BT - I didn't know they gave that level of control to their customers.
It's a shame they don't have noise margin, interleaving, and throttle controls on the web interface

In reply to:

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Except, of course, by clicking the 'Opt Out ' button

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Err, get up-to-date before you make statements like that.

BT said after the furore over the earlier tests that Webwise (Phorm) will be Opt-in not Opt-out. I'm not sure they were not forced into that position but that is irrelevant.

What is relevant is that the opt-in or out facility merely allows or stops the user getting the targeted ads. It does not stop the DPI and recording/analysis taking place anyway.

I suspect you have already seen this report, but for anyone who hasn't, it is an enlightening insight into the utter contempt in which BT held the victims of their 'stealth trial' [BT's words].

Even when users noticed odd behaviour which resembled spyware, malware or a virus caused by Phorm, BT still denied any involvement.

http://wikileaks.org/leak/bt-phorm-report-2007.pdf

I like the opt-out method;
1. Know the system exists in the first place.
2. Know it's possible to opt-out.
3. Know where to go, to get the opt-out cookie.
4. Download said cookie.
5. Remember that if you clear your cookies (which most of us do, from time to time), you'll be automatically opted back in, and have to repeat the whole process.

I'm also amused by how BT arrived at the 15-20 users (the ones which noticed there was something going on).
In BT's own words, it seems they saw 15-20 posts, on internet forums, relating to this sort of thing, and assumed those 15-20 were the only people to detect it.
I also note they acknowledge the system is by no means fault-free (the best one being the ability to get Internet Explorer to use up 100% of the CPU resource, when visiting a site which has loads of html "anchor links").

The whole document, if genuine (and there's nothing to suggest it's a fake), is very hard to defend - even by certain people who think the sun shines out of BT's bottom.

Post deleted by Recoil

Edited by Recoil (Wed 31-Dec-08 15:48:03)