Advertising network attacked for data gathering system
The online advertising network Phorm has been criticised by a leading internet think tank on the grounds that its data gathering system is illegal.
Phorm collects information on web users by examining the sites they visit and building up a profile of their interests, which advertisers use to target them with relevant promotions and banners. The network is already used by several UK internet service providers, including BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk.
But the fact that Phorm does not ask for a user's consent before it conducts these activities makes it illegal, according to the Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR). The group expressed its concerns yesterday in an open letter to Richard Thomas, the information commissioner.
