The BBC news website reports that Sir Tim Berners-Lee has serious objections to ISPs tracking users' web browsing habits - as proposed by Phorm (and to be introduced by BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk - probably to be followed by the other big players).
[This item has been updated several times on 17/3/08 and 18/3/08]
In another post, I highlight the Phorm patent, which clearly indicates the ability and possibly intent to go well beyond the proposed data harvesting. Indeed I would suggest that other reports of MI5 wanting to have access to all travel records held by the Oyster travelcard system indicate how the Phorm system could go in the future. Recall also that the proposed opt-out for the BT broadband system seems not to opt out of data collection, but merely to opt out of targeted adverts.
On the question of the legality of the Phorm system, the Foundation for Information Policy Research has published an open letter to the Information Commissioner, voicing an opinion that the system is illegal. The letter is extremely clearly written and is well worth reading.
And another update to this story: The Register has a story in which it reports that BT have come clean about their secret tests of the Phorm system that they carried out in the summer of 2007, and subsequently denied. I am even less willing to rely on BT's word on anything to do with data privacy on this issue. One interesting statement in this story is that "As part of its admission that it lied over the 2007 trials, BT also said it will follow Carphone Warehouse's lead and develop an opt-out that does not involve cookies and means no data will be mirrored to a profiling server, even if it is ignored." If true, this is a significant advance (but can one believe BT now?).
Yet another update - the BBC news web pages are following up the open letter from FIPR.
Updated 18/3/08: Slashdot has a clear description of the campaign being waged by Phorm's PR consultants - in essence, one might suggest they are using obfuscation to evade serious questioning.
Updated again 18/3/08: BBC News has a story revealing that the privacy review solicited by Phorm and carried out by 80/20 Thinking Ltd is not as supportive of Phorm's practises as Phorm's publicity claims.