Heated Debate - Phorm

The Motion

“This house believes that Phorm's Webwise is of benefit to Internet users”

Phorm has created Webwise, a new feature designed to make the internet safer and more relevant to internet users. Webwise is offered free of charge to participating ISP partner customers and includes enhanced protection against online fraud and relevant advertising features.

Webwise is a feature offered by leading UK ISPs in the UK that helps protect customers from fraudulent websites and replaces eneric online ads with ads that are relevant to customers' interests. Webwise is powered by Phorm technology.

For the motion

“We believe Phorm makes the internet a more vibrant and interesting place. Phorm protects personal privacy and unlike the hundreds of other cookies on your PC, it comes with an on/off switch.”

Kent Ertugrul, CEO, Phorm

“The trial invitation will be presented through a special web page that will appear when those customers start a web browsing session. At this point, those customers invited can choose to switch on BT Webwise, choose not to take part, or to find out more information.

“The www.bt.com/webwise site also contains detailed information on the service and a one-click option to switch the service off, which can be activated at any point during the trial. The BT Privacy Policy and BT Total Broadband Service Terms will be amended accordingly.

“BT is, of course, aware of the legal requirements regarding interception of communications under RIPA. We consider that these steps will meet the legal requirements of RIPA and also ensure that customers are able to take a fully informed decision as to whether to take the service.”

BT

Against the motion

“...Classification by scanning in this way seems to us to be highly intrusive. We think that it should not be undertaken without explicit consent from users who have been given particularly clear information about what is liable to be scanned. Users should have to opt in to such a system, not merely be given an opportunity to opt out. We believe this is also required under European data protection law; failure to establish a clear and transparent "opt-in" system is likely to render the entire process illegal and open to challenge in UK and European courts.

“It would be specially objectionable if opting out were to depend on the maintenance by the user of a cookie, since many reasonable users regularly clear all cookies; nor should users be expected to opt out by blocking one or more websites, since many may not understand how to do this or may make errors in trying to do so...”

Nicholas Bohm, General Counsel & Richard Clayton, Treasurer; Foundation for Information Policy Research

“I myself feel that it is very important that my ISP supplies internet to my house like the water company supplies water to my house. It supplies connectivity with no strings attached. My ISP doesn't control which websites I go to, it doesn't monitor which websites I go to.”

Sir Tim Berners-Lee

Get informed

Phorm
BT Webwise
Open Rights Group

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