Objectors to Phorm’s controversial Webwise web monitoring software are planning a protest to draw attention to their concerns about alleged breaches of privacy and human rights laws.
The protesters will rally on 16 July outside BT’s Annual General Meeting and plan to submit a file to police detailing the Webwise trials BT conducted in 2006 and 2007 without informing its customers.
Nicholas Bohm of digital rights organisation the Foundation for Information Policy Research claimed the trials were illegal and the aim of handing the dossier to the police is to prompt a criminal investigation.
Phorm’s Webwise software, which tracks people’s surfing habits to deliver closely targeted advertising, has caused a storm of controversy.
Three of the UK’s key internet service providers, BT, Talktalk and Virgin Media, said they plan to use it, but privacy groups have claimed that the service could breach a number of laws, including the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).
Dr Richard Clayton, a privacy expert at Cambridge University who has analysed the software, has written that he is “not happy at all”, and believes that it “performs illegal interception” as defined by the RIPA.
Alex Hanff, an IT specialist who is leading the public protest against the unsolicited use of Phorm’s software, said that despite assurances of anonymity, he and others are deeply concerned about what may eventually happen to any data that is intercepted.
“We are concerned about the potential for further use of individuals’ data in light of the US patent application and Phorm’s DPA registration. The DPA registration makes clear reference to holding financial and personal data and being allowed to ‘export’ this,” he said.
He has set up a website, No DPI, which details the concerns expressed by both members of the public and privacy experts. He has also given advice to BT customers who are concerned that they may have been involved in one of the trials.
"You can send a Data Protection Act (DPA) request to BT asking whether your exchange was involved in one of these trials. If you find this was the case you can get more information from the No DPI website and if you have proof you can send this to us so we can add this to our case file for the police. Alternatively you can email No DPI. We have also set up a video petition on Youtube," he told us.
We contacted BT but it declined to comment. Phorm also had no comment to make on the current protest; it said in an earlier statement that it was satisfied that its system complied “with all the appropriate UK laws”.
The Information Commissioner’s Office is monitoring the situation. But Mr Hanff, a mature student who, bar a few donations, has personally funded the bid to raise awareness of the concerns, said that Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Information Society and Media had indicated that the European Commission is now monitoring the Information Commissioner's Office investigation.
"A number of people have been sent emails from Viviane Reding's office, saying that the EC will intervene if they think it is necessary," he said.
