[Sussex] SPYCOMS

[Andy Smith]

Hi Andrew,

On Mon, Mar 03, 2008 at 01:05:42PM +0000, Andrew Guard wrote:
> On 03/03/2008, Andy Smith <andy at lug.org.uk> wrote:
> >  On Sat, Mar 01, 2008 at 07:49:33AM +0000, Andrew Guard wrote:
> >  > As you might of already read else where about this dreadful activitys of Phorm,
> >  >
> >  > http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/29/phorm_roundup/
> >
> > <advocate client="Devil">
> >  Why is this any worse than e.g. Tesco selling your shopping habits
> >  via clubcard, or OpenDNS serving you targetted ads and selling your
> >  DNS activity?
> 
> It is Opt-In. I can shop without using pointless clubcard for few
> pence it not worth it, you don't have to use OpenDNS.
> 
> The issue is if you do not want to recorded by Phorm then you have to
> Opt-Out. Only by use of cookie, only if you can!

You are not forced to use that ISP.

> >  Isn't it just a way for these companies to differentiate themselves?
> >
> >  I can understand why you may not like it, but is it actually
> >  dreadful?
> 
> All right then you wouldn't mind someone watching you.

Phorm is an automated system like many others of its kind.  No one
is watching what sites you visit. If there was such a person at your
ISP interested in that then they could anyway already.  So if you
are concerned about the security of your web browsing you should be
using only HTTPS sites anyway, regardless of Phorm.

> Thats so then why dont you put a web cam in you bed room 24/7, it
> doesn't matter as it anonymize and no one would know who it is. ;)
> 
> Think about it...

That's not at all comparable.  What would be comparable is something
like "what if you put tracking devices on yourself, your fridge,
your tv, etc. so that some company knows what amounts of time you
spend in each room, what tv programmes you watch, what foods you eat
and so on in order to provide targetted advertising in return for a
discount on some other service."

Depending on the exact details it wouldn't bother me per se; it
would be similar to much data mining that happens already today.

Cheers,
Andy

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