Rights Groups Speak Out Against Phorm, UK Comm. Database

MJackson writes "The Open Rights Group (ORG) has issued a public letter to the Chief Privacy Officers (or the nearest equivalent) for seven of the world's largest website giants (including Microsoft and Google), asking them to boycott Phorm. The controversial Phorm system works with broadband ISPs to monitor what websites you visit for use in targeted advertising campaigns. Meanwhile, the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust has issued a new report slamming the UK government's plans for a Communications Database. This would be designed to intercept and log every UK ISP user's e-mail headers, website accesses and telephone history. The report warns that the public are often, 'neither served nor protected by the increasingly complex and intrusive holdings of personal information invading every aspect of our lives.'"

Comments

Re:this won't win me many friends....

[Shakrai]

Let me know when that's anything much more than a gun nut's fantasy. Home invasions are very very rare.

Home fires are equally rare so I suppose there isn't any reason for me to bother owning fire extinguishers. And why are you assuming that my comment makes me a 'gun nut'? All I said was self-defense isn't vigilantism and the police aren't likely to arrive in time to help you. Do you disagree with either of those statements?

I'm just saying, there's not actually a strong case to arm the populace either.

The 'strong case' is the fact that you historically had the right and now you don't. Personally I don't like it when my Government tries to take away a right that we've had for generations. Apparently you disagree. Don't come crying to me when your Government takes away the rights that you actually care about. Ongoing events in your country suggest that they aren't looking to only take away guns.