Popular Websites Incited to Blacklist Phorm

Popular Websites Incited to Blacklist Phorm

The Phorm advertising system has been the subject of criticism from the Open Rights Group, who called for a boycott from major websites.  Privacy officers at Microsoft, Google/Youtube, Facebook, AOL/Bebo, Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay received an open letter urging them to "opt out of the Phorm system".
 

The letter, which was cosigned by Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group and Information Policy Research treasurer Richard Clayton of the Foundation, states,  "You may already be aware of the very significant concerns being expressed by many of your UK internet customers about the interception and processing of their data whenever it is viewed by customers whose ISPs deploy the Phorm/Webwise system."

 

Phorm claims various sites are using an advertising system similar to theirs. 

 

Phorm is a digital technology company which aims to deliver targeted advertising based on user browsing habits by using deep packet inspection. The company is negotiating with ISPs to allow them to examine web user's surfing habits so they can them with target advertising.