Privacy International make a statement on Deep Packet Inspection

After all the accusations of conflicts of interests (see for example 80/20 Thinking drops advisory work, after accusations of conflict of interest), Privacy International have apparently made a public statement concerning the implications of deep packet inspection on privacy.  Oddly, you can read the statement at the nodpi website (Privacy International's Official Reponse on Deep Packet Inspection), but I can't see a mention yet at Privacy International's website.  Perhaps the announcement at nodpi.org is connected with the announcement in the statement that the driving force behind nodpi, Alex Hanff, has joined the PI team on this matter:

To this end, we are pleased to announce a new addition to our team. Alexander Hanff, a social scientist and technologist who has led a long campaign against the use of Deep Packet Inspection for behavioural advertising models in the UK, will be taking the lead for Privacy International on these issues. 

Actually, I can't think of anyone better suited to this, and perhaps in light of the at times bizarre conversations going on at the badphorm.co.uk forum (see this example)  between Simon Davies (of PI and 80/20 Thinking) and the regular contributors, this is a welcome move.

Still, all in all, I suppose this statement is better late than never.  It is interesting in not mentioning Phorm, but also in that it does take a wider view of the problem, bringing in the issue of mobile technologies and cloud computing.

Team MK '20' - Astwood 18/4/09

Wind: ENE 14mph; Hum: 48%

Another nice day forecast for this event, which I normally ride as part of a Team Grumpy 2-up entry.  This year, I entered as a solo rider, but due to a misunderstanding with the organiser, ended up starting in the 2-up field. Team MK use a version of the Astwood circuit course that differs from that used by the North Bucks Road Club because the start/finish are located nearer Cranfield.  The event once again used Cranfield University's new sports centre as its HQ, and Ian had managed once again to arrange pretty good weather: on the day, cool and cloudy condition changed to sunny, cool and surprisingly windy conditions which, while I had no trouble with the front trispoke, did make the going quite tough.

From the start, I got my speed up nicely, but then got a bit of a headwind, which slowed me.  The climb up to Astwood was reasonably OK, and actually I rather like not having to ride that mid-lap rather than at the end of each lap as we usually do in NBRC club events.  From Astwood, we were wind-assisted down to Chicheley, and in fact I passed the only 2-up team just after Astwood (they were on road bikes).  The section back to the finish line from Chicheley was harder than usual, due to the headwind, then once past the finish line, it straight off for the second lap.  I passed the eventual winner, Jason Gurney, as he was waiting to start - he came roaring up past me on the Astwood climb a few minutes later (giving me a clear indication how well he was going!).  During the seconds lap I passed one or two riders.

I finished with 50:26 for 18th place.  My first lap split was 24:33, making my second lap time slightly slower at 25:53 the second lap is a little longer, by about a minute, so I think my pace was pretty consistent. Looking at my HRM recording, I did seem to have been riding consistently through the event - I guess a bit more training would help!   Jason Gurney (Team MK took the honours with a storming 45:15, beating even the tandem (Kevin Stokes/Ian Marshall) by several seconds.

It was great to see Tony F back on his pins after his recent hospital visit, and looking well.

(Full results as a pdf)

 

 

Pos

No.

Name

Club

Cat

Vet Std

1st Lap

2nd Lap

Finish

+/- std

Std Pos

Tandem

1

1

Ian Marshall

Team MK

S

 

22:13

23:18

45:31

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Stokes

North Bucks CC

V45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2- up

1

2

Andrew Benson

North Road CC

S

 

27:55

28:53

56:48

 

 

 

 

 

3

Jon Robbins

North Road CC

S

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team

1

30

Jason Gurney

Team Milton Keynes

S

 

21:58

23:17

45:15

 

 

 

 

2

40

Paul Smith

PCA Ciclos Uno

V41

50:22

22:21

23:07

45:28

+

4:54

3

Team

3

11

Simon Cannings

Team Milton Keynes

S

 

22:55

23:43

46:38

 

 

 

 

4

45

Hugh Vivian

Finsbury Park CC

V44

51:29

22:51

24:01

46:52

+

4:37

4

Team

5

25

Mark Simmons

Team Milton Keynes

S

 

22:53

24:09

47:02

 

 

 

 

6

35

Stuart Tarry

Team Sanjan Design

S

 

22:57

24:19

47:16

 

 

 

 

7

27

Aaron McCaffrey

AW Cycles.co.uk

S

 

23:22

24:22

47:44

 

 

 

 

8

15

Leigh Smith

Alpha RC

S

 

23:44

24:21

48:05

 

 

 

 

9

21

Barrie Mitchell

Team Endura

V61

58:19

23:54

24:28

48:22

+

9:57

1

 

10

41

Andy Sharman

Team Milton Keynes

S

 

23:40

24:54

48:34

 

 

 

 

11

46

James Fox

Team Milton Keynes

S

 

23:54

24:45

48:39

 

 

 

 

12

31

Simon Howes

Westbrook Cycles

S

 

24:04

25:11

49:15

 

 

 

 

13

16

Des Gaylor

Kenton RC

V42

50:44

24:14

25:07

49:21

+

1:23

10

 

14

33

Lindz Barral

i-Team CC

S

 

24:14

25:24

49:38

 

 

 

 

15

18

Tom Gosbee

Team Welwyn

J

 

24:32

25:16

49:48

 

 

 

 

16

12

Richard Webster

Team Welwyn

V40

50:00

24:40

25:11

49:51

+

0:09

12

 

17

23

Simon Layfield

Team Welwyn

V44

51:29

24:38

25:46

50:24

+

1:05

11

 

18

4

Robert Saunders

North Bucks RC

V49

53:24

24:33

25:53

50:26

+

2:58

6

 

19

17

Geoff Perry

Team Milton Keynes

V48

53:01

24:51

25:50

50:41

+

2:20

8

 

20

32

Gordon Spencer

Team Milton Keynes

S

 

24:52

26:02

50:54

 

 

 

 

21

13

Mick Ives

Team Endura

V69

1:01:50

25:37

26:34

52:11

+

9:39

2

 

22

20

Gareth Rose

Icknield RC

V42

50:44

25:31

26:57

52:28

1:44

13

 

23

26

Andrew Brown

Welwyn Wheelers

S

 

25:30

27:13

52:43

 

 

 

 

24

28

Robert Chaundy

Team Milton Keynes

V57

56:38

25:57

26:55

52:52

+

3:46

5

 

25

34

Richard Law

CC Ashwell

V43

51:07

26:10

26:58

53:08

2:01

14

 

26

47

Richard Moule

Bossard Wheelers CC

V52

54:36

25:59

27:10

53:09

+

1:27

9

 

27

36

Helen Boatman

Team Milton Keynes

W

 

26:11

27:35

53:46

 

 

 

 

28

19

Gareth Richards

Roy Pink Cycles RT

S

 

26:53

27:47

54:40

 

 

 

 

29

14

Brian Foran

Lampard RC

V49

53:24

27:27

28:29

55:56

2:32

15

 

30

39

Clive Faine

Team Milton Keynes

V62

58:44

27:20

28:48

56:08

+

2:36

7

 

31

37

David Ledgerton

Hitchin Nomads CC

V44

51:29

27:50

29:19

57:09

5:40

17

 

32

24

Yvonne Gurney

Team Milton Keynes

W

 

28:24

29:08

57:32

 

 

 

 

33

44

Andrew Porter

Welwyn Wheelers

V47

52:38

28:18

29:42

58:00

5:22

16

 

34

29

Carolyn Hewett

Team Wiggle

W

 

28:37

29:41

58:18

 

 

 

 

35

43

Timothy Carey

A5 Rangers CC

V46

52:15

28:10

30:23

58:33

6:18

18

 

36

22

Tim Chandler

Welwyn Wheelers

S

 

26:28

34:20

1:00:48

 

 

 

 

 

38

Chris Hartley

North Bucks RC

V51

54:12

27:46

 

DNF

 

 

 

 

 

42

Phil Lisher

Team Welwyn

S

 

DNS

 

DNS

 

 

 

Wikimedia opts out of Phorm scanning - anti-Phorm ball keeps rolling

Wikimedia, who manage Wikipedia among other sites have announced via their blog that they have officially opted out of Phorm's deep packet inspection system.  In their blog article, they indicate that one of their concerns is that by opting out, they might somehow legitimise Phorm's system.  After due consideration, they decided the appropriate action would be to opt out of the system, and they show an extensive list of URLs that have been removed.

More good news on a week of exceptionally good news on the Phorm phront.

Update - one of the commenters to Alex Hanff's announcement of this at nodpi.org points out that the wikipedia page on Phorm has already been updated

Lies, surveillance and the arrest of Damian Green

Chris Williams of The Register certainly has been working hard, and this in a week that's absolutely stuffed with stories relating to Phorm's violation of internet privacy!  Today, he reports (Tory 'terror' affair shows danger of ubiquitous surveillance) on the circumstances surrounding the arrest a few months ago of Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green:

The "national security" justification offered by Jacqui Smith for the warrantless counter-terror police raid on a fellow member of Parliament's offices was trumped up by officials embarrassed by a series of leaks, we've now learned. The information about immigration failures fed to the Tories was politically damaging to the Labour government, but arguably in the public interest, and certainly no threat to national security.

The Committee concluded: "There is a clear mismatch between Sir David's [Sir David Normington, the most senior civil servant in the Home Office] description of the sort of material that he suspected had been leaked from the Home Office and the Cabinet Office's letter to the police stating "there has been considerable damage to national security already as a result of some of these leaks".

Williams concludes

Stoke Hammond '10' 15/4/09 (League Round 2)

The first evening event of the NBRC club time trial series! It was also the first event on the F5d/10 since the New Year's Day'10'.

Somewhat ominously, I woke to the sound of a 5am thunderstorm.  Still, I reckoned, over 12 hours before the event, plenty of time for the weather to clear up (the BBC forecast was for sunshine)!  Indeed, when I turned up to the club room at about 6.20, it was not only sunny, but very warm. 

Our time trial secretary had decreed that, due to the sunset time, the event would be limited to 20 riders, with preference to NBRC riders.  On the night, riders were turning in quite large numbers - in the end well over 30 signed on - and theend the decision was taken to set riders off at 30 second intervals.

Down to the start area, and I rode throught the first few roundabouts to warm up, and to assess the strength of the breeze.  This, it appeared, would whisk riders up to the third roundabout (where we turn left to join the Stoke Hammond bypass), but unfortunately would make sections of the final couple of miles a bit harder than usual.

And so it proved - in fact I made it to the dual carriageway without dropping below 25mph.  Once on the dual carriageway, it was the usual story of an undulating road, but the sidewind wasn't too much of a problem with the trispoke wheels.  The final section was rather more heavy going - not only is the road surface a bit rough, but the head wind was a nuisance.  Over the event, I kept the HR in the 180-187bpm range, so not a bad training event.  I estimated my time at about 23:30, which is sort of OK - I'd hoped for better in the back of my mind, but the reality is the lack of training on my past is always going to count against me.

RESULTS 

 

Pos

No

Rider

Club

Time

Cat

Vets Std

Plus/Minus

Vets Pos

1

18

Jason Gurney

TeamMK

21.13

S




2

14

Simon Cannings

TeamMK

22.07

S




3

20

Stuart Tarry

Team Sanjan Design

22.08

S




4

32

Leigh Smith

Alpha RC

22.23

S




5

29

Tony Parks

NBRC

22.26

V44

26.18

3.52

4

6

19

Matt Passenger

TeamMK

22.35

S




7

31

Chris Dunwoodie

TeamMK

22.40

S




8

15

Adrian Cox

TeamMK

23.16

V48

27.07

3.51

5

9

16

Lindz Barral

i-Team CC

23.17

S




10

12

Gordon Spencer

TeamMK

23.19

S




11

25

Robert Saunders

NBRC

23.26

V49

27.20

3.54

3

12

11

Andy Sharman

TeamMK

23.48

S




13

33

Steve Torley

TeamMK

23.52

S




14

34

Geoff Perry

TeamMK

23.53

V49

27.20

3.27

6

15

17

John Buchanan

NBRC

24.08

S




16

8

David Carrington

TeamMK

24.15

V43

26.06

1.51

7

17

21

Glenn McMenamin

NBRC

24.38

S




18

2

Darren Haydon

NBRC

24.53

S




19

13

Matthew Barton

TeamMK

25.01

V40

25.30

0.29

12

20

27

Gilbert Wheelwright

NBRC

25.39

V66

31.15

5.36

1

21

23

Stewart Williams

TeamMK

25.42

V49

27.20

1.38

8

22

10

Will Hilton

Team Synergy

25.46

S




23

6

Ian Stokes

NBRC

25.51

V49

27.20

1.29

10

24

7

Warren Stokes

NBRC

25.59

S




25

4

Clive Faine

TeamMK

26.04

V62

30.16

4.12

2

26

30

Mark Kleanthous

TeamMK

26.06

V48

27.07

1.01

11

27

5

Chris Hartley

NBRC

26.16

V51

27.46

1.30

9

28

1

Alan Lawson

NBRC

27.09

V40

25.30

-1.39

13

29=

3

Yvonne Gurney

TeamMK

27.26

L




29=

26

David Skeggs

NBRC

27.26

V40

25.30

-1.56

14

31

24

Chris Helliwell

Bath Uni

27.29

S




32

9

Katherine Dilks

NBRC

28.50

L




33

28

Tony Brunton

NBRC

29.04

V44

26.18

-2.46

15










2-up

22

Ian Marshall/Kevin Stokes

TeamMK

21.18

V40/46