Internet Service providers in Privacy Row

'The problem for the senior vice-president of technology at Phorm, an Aim-listed company which recently tied up a deal with the UK's three biggest internet service providers - BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk, who between them have more than 10 million customers - is that it's not the privacy groups who he really needs to convince. It's the millions of people whose services will be affected by Phorm's scheme, because some are up in arms over what they see as an invasion of their privacy through Phorm's intention to categorise all of their web-surfing habits in order to target online ads at them.'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/05/privac...phorm

More invasion of internet privacy lies ahead as outlined by this useful and easy to understand Guardian article.

If you are a customer of BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk, based in the UK, remember BT have a lot of customers in Ireland too, all of your browsing could be profiled to develop advertising phishing ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing ).
BT have already started trials in the UK without customers consent.

'News of the deal has leaked out ahead of the service's launch. BT says it will begin trialling soon with "a few thousand" customers, though the Guardian has learnt that BT and Phorm tested the service in secret last summer; at least one customer noticed (tinyurl.com/25jwn6) and began worrying that his machine had been infected by a Trojan. BT's support centre had not been told, but later said there was "an issue" affecting "a small number of users". BT denied any involvement with Phorm at the time. The lack of candour has now aroused the ire of many who have learnt about it, who see this as a matter of trust - and are not convinced that ISPs are earning that trust.'