read the text
"I'm sure that a nude female parachute regiment would have all eyes agape at the sky. :)"
Whistle while you work?
Mine's the one with the straps round the crotch.
Posts by Anon e Mouse
4 publicly visible posts • joined 7 Apr 2008
Reg hack insults the Parachute Regiment
FIPR: ICO gives BT 'green light for law breaking' with Phorm
Monday 7th April 2008 15:47 GMT 
About other ISP's using BT infrastructure
Just to clarify a little for people who aren't aware of how 'BT' is structured..
BT Retail is effectively a customer of BT Wholesale (the same as Tier-2 ISP's are customers of BT Wholesale).
As this sorry mess was put together by BT Retail, it is unlikely in the extreme that BT Wholesale would dare put this kit in line with their infrastructure (and thus in-line with Tier-2 ISP connectivity).
In fact, I don't even think BT customers using business products would be affected by this (so far). I may even just change my DSL to a business line and pay for it from my company (but with another ISP of course - it might be easier to obtain injunctions and pursue legal matters if from a business rather than an individual).
</2p>
Monday 7th April 2008 13:11 GMT 
ICO statement
Apart from the fact that it isn't the *technology* that's the problem (so all statements from Phorm are irrelevant) it's how it's implemented, a point that the ICO seemed to have managed to avoid addressing.
Unless the system is *opt-in* (for all parties of the tcp connection) and when someone is 'opted-out' then their traffic bypasses the profilers then this is an unacceptable situation. I'm a network designer for a living (most recently for BT *hint*) and I fail to see a legal way of doing this.
"We have spoken to BT about this trial and they have made clear that unless customers positively opt in to the trial their web browsing will not be monitored in order to deliver adverts."
Bullshit. They [ICO] have only addressed the proposed trial which BT have clearly stated will intercept *all* traffic even if you opt-out (discarding info is irrelevant to RIPA).
BT have said that they are 'designing' the system to avoid this interception if you are opted-out for the *live* platform. The reason they have yet to give out any networking details around the proposed *live* platform (as they claimed they would do on the BT forums) is probably down to the fact that it can't be done without hitting the same issues they currently have. I know, I design networks for a living remember.
I also know that the BT Retail designers are not part of the general BT design team (which is why this platform probably came as a shock to a lot of internal BT people) and which is probably why it's so half-assed and unworkable. If BT Retail had followed the normal BT internal design procedures then this would have reached the e2e design team and all the things that have been said about this platform would have come to light a long time ago (btw this would have constituted the 'due diligence' which they [BT Retail] have obviously failed to perform).
"BT has also stated that the system does *not store* personally identifiable information, URLs, IP addresses or retain browsing histories and that search information is deleted almost immediately, and is not retrievable."
My emphasis. So it still intercepts it then? Yes? Probably Illegal? Yes.
“We will continue to maintain close contact with Phorm and BT throughout the trial. Clearly the trial should reveal whether this is a service that web users want, whether it is privacy friendly and that users are comfortable with the privacy safeguards put in place by Phorm.”
I'm less concerned about the privacy aspect (which even technical experts will agree they [Phorm] have actually addressed with a lot of diligence) than the *fact* that my data is intercepted and then *something* happens to it.
I don't want my data intercepted at all, not even so it can be discarded, because I believe that would be illegal without a warrant.
Having said all this, I don't think the ICO statement contains any concrete approval or disapproval at this point, although the tone does seem uncomfortably supporting.
If they [ICO] don't stop this then I will change ISP to one who does not allow it. If it should ever become law that all ISP's must run some sort of *filter* - after all pandora's box cannot be closed - then I will simply stop using the internet at any personal identifiable level.
Once they prove they can DPI all our traffic, the ISP's will cease to have any argument against the imposition of filters based on *filesharing/child-porn/<insert bad thing of the day here>*
Oh last thing, the ICO statement mentions 'web browsing' as if that's all the system does. Ho ho ho. I think the FIPR should be given the fangs and the ICO should be put out to pasture.
</rant - phew>
Biting the hand that feeds IT
