BT and Phorm have recently concluded their latest trial of the vile WebWise deep packet inspection system, in which they propose to ride roughshod over privacy and copyright concerns to make money targeting adverts at ISP subscribers. Interestingly this trial was proposed to involve 10,000 customers, and take two weeks. In fact, BT refuse to reveal how many participants there were, took two and a half months over the trial, and in their press release say:
RNS Number : 0686K Phorm Inc 15 December 2008
Phorm, Inc. ("Phorm" or the "Company")
BT Trial Update
Phorm (AIM: PHRM and PHRX), the advertising technology company, is pleased to announce that the trial with ISP partner BT has now concluded. The trial achieved its primary objective of testing all the elements necessary for a larger deployment, including the serving of small volumes of targeted advertising. There will now be a period of joint analysis of the results. Following the successful completion of analysis, both of the trial results and of any changes required for expansion, BT has informed the Company that it expects to move towards deployment.
Get that? They say that "Following the successful completion of analysis, both of the trial results and of any changes required for expansion, BT has informed the Company that it expects to move towards deployment." No worries there that the test might be unsuccessful, might reaffirm criticisms that the system invades privacy, copyright, and may well be illegal? Oh hell, let's just head on down to full-scale deployment.
Idiots.