Government cracks down on snooping

Posted on 23 Apr 2009 at 10:25

The UK government is investigating the use of snooping technology by ISPs. The probe comes just days after the European Commission announced it is taking legal action against Britain for giving the green light to Phorm's targeted advertising service Webwise.

The All Party Parliamentary Communications Group's (apComms) investigation will address behavioural advertising services and the policies of some ISPs that involve throttling specific types of internet traffic. It will also address issues such as net neutrality and a global response to child sex abuse images in its investigation.

The group, led by John Robertson MP and Derek Wyatt MP, will consider whether the government should restrict the use of behavioural advertising services or continue allowing ISPs to regulate themselves.

Phorm said it welcomed the government's probe into snooping. The company remained confident that its system will eventually prove popular among consumers and will enable ISPs to provide better services for its users. "Consumers will be given a clear choice over whether to participate in a system that uniquely stores no personal data such as browsing histories or IP addresses," the company said in a statement.

"Furthermore, our technology will redistribute the significant online advertising revenues in a more balanced way, helping ISPs to invest in better services for UK internet users."

Author: Dawinderpal Sahota

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