House of Lords Data Protection Debate

[James Firth]

> Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer:
> 
>    Mass data collection and retention is not the sole domain of
>    government. The private sector has been years ahead in seeing the
>    commercial potential in data collection. However, collection is one
>    thing but the problems arise in its retention--how is it stored, how
>    is it accessed and by whom? Even the technology that I understand and
>    use--the memory stick, for example--allows vast amounts of data to be
>    downloaded in one place and removed to another, just as we were
>    talking about in the Statement. More sophisticated is the collection
>    of information by Google, for example, in developing targeted
>    advertising. There are all kinds of technological advances which are
>    hard to grasp.
> 
>    I was talking with the chief executive of Phorm this week who told me
>    that once something is stored you have lost control over it. Phorm
>    has been the subject of an interesting article in the Economist
>    recently which some of your Lordships may have read. It is a company
>    on the cutting edge of what can protect the public. A bit of
>    controversy surrounds its work because, with its client BT, it
>    intercepted people's online business without BT customers knowing.
>    But Phorm is certainly correct when it says that if consumers knew
>    what was actually stored they would decide to opt for true anonymity
>    online. This is what Phorm is trying to develop with major
>    telecommunications clients on a global scale.
> 

Try telling this to user 3D7746485 using 121Media's technology back in 2006:

app=3DPS
v=3D1.2.8
site=3DI.38463733.LIVE
size=3Dtad
rnd=3D7746485
search-tr=3Dhow%20am%20i%20tested%20for%20std%3F
refererkw=3D
info%20std%20testing,
google,
search,
tested%20std,
web,
links,
affordable,
district%20columbia,
information%20teens
referer=3Dhttp://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DHow+Am+I+Tested+Fo=
r+STD
%253F&xinfopsid=3D0&format=3Dhtml&orig=3Dhttp://www.rochester.edu/uhs/hea=
lthtopics
/SexualHealth/std/stdTesting.html

http://www.rochester.edu/its/reports/2006.06.24/REFERRER.html

Apologies for the repeat post, but it highlights the past leaking of
information.  Although there's no evidence to say this will happen with the
new and improved Phorm, there's enough cause for my concern from Richard's
report.

James Firth