Your internet history on view

Posted in 'Identity Theft' by Richard Catlin

21 April 2009

The UK has come under fire from the European Commission for “structurally flawed” data protection laws, after the Government’s decision to allow Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) to use consumer browsing habits to determine what advertising to show them.

The use of behavioural targeting software by Phorm (also known as Webwise) to deliver advertising based on the surfing history of individuals has been declared in breach of European Law and has led the European Commission to start legal proceedings against the UK.

At the time of writing, none of the UK’s major search engines had taken steps to block Phorm, which stores data about browsing habits without informing the user that data will be used in that way. Retail giant Amazon was the first major site to stop using the service, and more sites are now expected to follow suit as public disapproval grows. You can find details of how to block Phorm here.

In trials undertaken between 2006 and 2007, the internet activity of 30,000 internet users was monitored in a partnership with BT, and although both companies claim that no breach of UK law has been made, the result of the investigation could see Britain forced to tighten up its privacy laws.

The Government has also been criticised for failing to put sufficient safeguards in place against data losses. A succession of embarrassing losses involving details of millions of citizens, by both Government and private companies, has led to calls for greater powers to punish data breaches.

The Information Commissioner Richard Thomas recently called for more power to investigate and prosecute private companies involved in public data losses. He has also accused the Government of helping Britain to become a “Surveillance Society”.

One thing that isn’t currently facing an investigation is Google’s controversial Street View. Part of the requirement from the Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO) was that number plates and faces should be automatically blurred.

Despite some teething problems with this software, and an official appeal by privacy campaigners Privacy International, the ICO has ruled that Street View is not harmful, and is legal. However it did promise to continue to monitor the images, and enforce the removal of anything deemed inappropriate.

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