Home Office accused of "jaw dropping" Phorm "collusion"

28 Apr 2009 | 18.43 Europe/London

The Home Office has been accused of "colluding" with behaviour advertising firm Phorm after correspondence between the two was published. The Government department has previously denied giving the company "any advice directly relating to possible criminal liability for the operation of their advertising platform in the UK." Now it might have to change its tune following email exchanges between the parties being released under Freedom of Information legislation.

Email from Home Office representative to Phorm, August 2007: "My personal view accords with yours, that even if it is 'interception,' which I am doubtful of, it is lawfully authorised under section 3 by virtue of the user's consent obtained in signing up to the ISPs terms and conditions."

Lib Dem Home Affairs spokeswoman Baroness Sue Miller says the correspondence is "jaw dropping." "The fact the Home Office asks the very company they are worried is actually falling outside the laws whether the draft interpretation of the law is correct is completely bizarre," she told the BBC. "Anything the Home Office now says about Phorm is completely tainted." She's now worried the Home Office is "very interested in the technology" for its own purposes.

January 2008: Home Office emails a draft paper to Phorm. After the firm rewrites parts of it, the Home Office sends it another email asking "if we agree to [the changes], and this becomes our position do you think your clients and their prospective partners will be comforted?"

The Home Office has denied any "collusion" took place. "We have repeatedly said since these documents were released a year ago that the Government has not endorsed Phorm or its technology," a spokesman said. "We are committed to protecting the privacy of UK consumers and will ensure any new technology of this sort is applied in an appropriate and transparent manner, in full accordance with the law and with proper regulation from the appropriate authority."

Email from Home Office representative to Phorm, January 2008: "I should be grateful if you would review the attached document, and let me know what you think."

It's curious that the email revelations came on the same day Phorm launched a website in an attempt to combat what it calls a campaign of "orchestrated smears" against it. Its chief executive, Kent Ertugrul, is also downplaying the "collusion" claims. Phorm just asked for "an informed opinion on ISP-based targeted advertising," he says. "In the United Kingdom it is for the courts to decide what is or is not legal, not the Home Office."

[ BBC ]

burgek1 says:

The Phorm website is interesting; I appreciate having read "how it works" that it isn't actually the devil that the world is making it to be. In fact; it seems far less intrusive then Facebook or any search engine which are storing data on you!

29 Apr 2009 | 12.24 Europe/London

Irate BT User says:

@burgek1 You mean you didn't bother to find out all the details that the promotion left out? All those FOI requests & certain Departments are still "passing the hot potato" back & forth!

21 May 2009 | 13.04 Europe/London