So, what's all the fuss about?

Simply put, three of the UK's largest ISPs (Virgin Media, BT and TalkTalk) have decided to sell your private browsing history to an advertising broker. Yes, the entire content of every web page you visit gets sent to Phorm in real time, as you click. A personal profile is created, allowing Phorm to send you 'targeted advertising'.

Naturally the ISP's are not too keen on telling their users this, they'd much rather feed us all platitudes about how it'll help combat phishing and how the targeted adverts will be so much better than the random ones we see today. In fact, they didn't even announce it to the UK press, we had to find out about it from the New York Times!

A PR company retained by Phorm, and indeed Phorm themselves, have failed to adequately address some of the most important issues raised repeatedly and ultimately unsuccessfully by our users.

The Value of the Internet

There is an important group of stakeholders who's rights also need to be considered by BT, Virgin Media, Talk Talk, and Phorm.

The thing that makes the internet the priceless resource we value is the content.

Phorm's Webwise system does not provide an easy or credible method for copyright holders to retain control over their work.

A mechanism which penalises a content creator by denying them search engine listing or requires them to explicity opt-out of profiling is not acceptable or, in our view, credible. Copyright consent is essential.

Documents published on the Internet may be publicly and freely accessible; they are certainly not in the public domain.

Trials of Phorm

In recent weeks it has become apparent, BT trialled the Phorm profiling technology in secret in 2006 and 2007, without the consent or knowledge of hundreds of thousands of their customers.

The contempt shown for customers in leaked documentation is appalling.

Conclusion

We therefore call on participating ISPs to withdraw from deep packet inspection systems (like Phorm) entirely.

It is clearly simply impossible for ISPs to overcome the privacy, security, legal, copyright, and technical concerns.

United Kingdom Politicians must act to protect the integrity of public communication systems.

And we demand - the Police and the Information Commissioner must prosecute BT for abusing the privacy of its customers, and abusing the copyright content that was used to trial Phorm.

Join us, help fight Phorm.

-The Team at BadPhorm.