Posts by hi_robb

Information Commissioner: Phorm must be opt-in only

I think people are missing the point RE cookies

Guys / Girls,

While the news on el reg today is great, I think a fair few people are still missing the point with the opt in / out cookies.

If ISP / Phorm uses cookies for Opt in or out, this will still mean that your data is going to be intercepted and passed to their servers. It doesn't matter if they proceess that data or not depending on the cookie, the simple fact is THEY WOULD STILL BE INTERCEPTING YOUR DATA.

Everyones posing hypothetical questions about cookies being deleted etc And while they are all fair questions, they are directing the gaze of everyone away from the real issue. "Cookie or no bloody cookie, I (as I'm sure you lot don't), do not want my data just not processed, I do not want it intercepted in and way shape or 'Phorm'."

In some ways Phorm must be sitting there laughing. As things stand, it looks like a lot of people will be happy for Phorm to be installed at their ISP, and for their data to be intercepted, as long as Phorm can say "Yes your opt out cookie means we won't process that data". The cookies thing is fast becoming a smokescreen which Phorm are hoping spreads out obscuring the real issue.

The only way that the Opt In / Out must work (as a few people have pointed out) is for the Opt-In / Out to be done at an account level at the ISP. When you then connect, your account is checked and if you have opted out, your data goes straight to internet and goes nowhere near the Phorm servers. For those that Opt in (and I bet it would not be many), they go a different route via the Phorm servers.

For Opt out, your data is then never intercepted, and there's no bloody chance of it *accidentially being processed* when Phorm turn off the ignore Opt out Cookies option in their software.

Great work people and El reg for getting things this far, but lets not forget what the real issue is here.

Rob

BT: 'We did not let anyone down over Phorm... it was not illegal'

Re: Talk Talk

I seen that on BBc this morning and thought exactly the same thing. My imediate thoughts were that the comments were smokescreen to shroud the fact they are also in bed with Phorm.

Dead wife contacts Lancs man via SMS

Network providor

Shame this isn't U.S based, they could use Sprit as their service providor

Thailand cracks down on cut-price castrations

Errr

"To show it intends to walk it like it talks it, the Medical Council will today rule whether the owner of one Bangkok clinic has breached medical ethics"

Not so much a test case more a testicle case

Virgin Media in premium rate U-turn

Not to worry they'll claw the cash back from Phorm

Virgin Media should be able to cover any money lost by doing this with the huge ammounts they are getting from Phorm for selling their users browsing habbits.

In fairness to VM though who I use, they did used to refund the call charges if the fault was at their end, or with their modem.

Police hunt renegade cow sex youth

I can just picture it

The scene is night time in a field somwhere, the blackness is all enpowering.

The moonlight slips through a break in the clouds revealing some numpty standing on a couple of milk crates wearing a pair of black boxers which are around his ankles. Infront of him attached to his humble pink makeshift cattle prod is a rather splendid longhorn cow looking rather bored.

All is silent except for the rythmic sound of "slurp schurlp" and the unmistakable sound of skin on skin (make that skin on leather).

cow: chew chew

numpty: oh yeh oooh yeh, ya feel that bessie?

cow: moooooo

numpty: take it baby take it

:-)