BT to Monitor customer Browsing Habits
BT to roll out testing of a controversial online ad monitoring service branded ‘BT Webwise’.The service, developed by advertising technology company, Phorm, will track a user’s path through cyber space, monitoring most of the websites visited, and then deliver content relevant advertising to their browsers - for example visiting Carphone Warehouse could result in ads for mobile phones being presented.
According to The Register, in 2006 BT were criticised for testing the service on 18,000 customers and faced court action from several businesses who felt sensitive information had been gathered without permission. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, intercepting internet traffic without user’s consent is a criminal offence.
It was also reported that Phorm, once known as 121 Media had a history steeped in spyware, a technology that collects information from browsers by offering free software in exchange for delivering annoying pop-up adverts. Although the company is now targeting customers direct from major Internet service providers, such as BT, instead of convincing users to install spyware programmes on their computers.
Plans are to roll the test out to 10,000 customers this week using an ‘opt-in’ page which will appear when a user begins their browsing session. But according to The NY Times the form is misleading in describing the service to users. In their opinion the presentation seems to play down the most significant element of the system, the monitoring, and creates a distraction by concentrating on the fringe benefits such as warnings about phishing (fraudulent) web pages.
Customers will be provided with a link to BT Webwise if they wish to obtain further information.
In response to the article written in the NY times, Adam Liversage, a BT spokesman gave these comments:
“I completely disagree with this assertion (that anti-phishing is a distraction), as will anyone who has been a victim of very cleverly designed phishing / spoofing websites. Our customers tell us that this is by far and away the No.1 thing that worries them about the internet, and the £millions extracted from victims of it in the UK alone each year are testament to why this is a useful, attractive function of Webwise.“
BT expects to roll the programme out over its entire broadband customer base if all goes to plan.
The programme is estimated to net BT £85million in revenues by 2010 according to the register, which is a tiny amount considering the damage it could do to BT, by seriously upsetting customers, if the rollout is not addressed correctly.
More information about Phorm
More about BT Webwise
Tags: 121 media, ad monitoring, adware, BT, phorm, spyware, targeted advertising, webwise
