Editing BT Group (section)

=== Behavioural targeting ===
In early 2008 it was announced that BT had entered into a contract (along with [[Virgin Media]] and [[TalkTalk Group|TalkTalk]]) with the [[spyware]] company [[Phorm]] (responsible under their 121Media guise for the Apropos [[rootkit]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.f-secure.com/sw-desc/apropos.shtml|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110220950/http://www.f-secure.com/sw-desc/apropos.shtml|url-status=dead|title=Apropos &#124; F-Secure Labs|archivedate=10 November 2013|website=www.f-secure.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f-secure.com/sw-desc/peopleonpage.shtml |title=FSecure Spyware Information Pages: PeopleOnPage |publisher=F-secure.com |access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524153535/http://www.f-secure.com/sw-desc/peopleonpage.shtml |archive-date=24 May 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> to intercept and analyse their users' click-stream data and sell the anonymised aggregate information as part of Phorm's OIX advertising service.<ref>{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Chris |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/25/phorm_isp_advertising/page2.html |title=ISP data deal with former 'spyware' boss triggers privacy fears |work=The Register |date=25 February 2008 |access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121217080502/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/25/phorm_isp_advertising/page2.html |archive-date=17 December 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Chris |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/29/phorm_documents/ |title=How Phorm plans to tap your internet connection |work=The Register |date=29 February 2008 |access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412151736/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/29/phorm_documents/ |archive-date=12 April 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The practice, known as "[[behavioural targeting]]" and condemned by critics as "data pimping", came under intense fire from various internet communities and other interested-parties who believe that the interception of data without the consent of users and web site owners is illegal under UK law (RIPA).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-home/article-23449601-details/Web+users+angry+at+ISPs%27+spyware+tie-up/article.do |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310000649/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-home/article-23449601-details/Web+users+angry+at+ISPs'+spyware+tie-up/article.do |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 March 2008 |title=Web users angry at ISPs' spyware tie-up |work=London Evening Standard |location=London |access-date=18 April 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Chris |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/04/phorm_ripa/ |title=Data pimping: surveillance expert raises illegal wiretap worries |work=The Register |date=4 March 2008 |access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402051431/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/04/phorm_ripa/ |archive-date=2 April 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Chris |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/17/phorm_fipr_illegal/ |title=Net think thank: Phorm is illegal |work=The Register |date=17 March 2008 |access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110404054947/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/17/phorm_fipr_illegal/ |archive-date=4 April 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fipr.org/080423phormlegal.pdf |title=The Phorm "Webwise" System – a Legal Analysis |access-date=18 April 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110522062819/http://www.fipr.org/080423phormlegal.pdf| archive-date= 22 May 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> At a more fundamental level, many have argued that the ISPs and Phorm have no right to sell a commodity (a user's data, and the copyrighted content of web sites) to which they have no claim of ownership. In response to questions about Phorm and the interception of data by the Webwise system Sir [[Tim Berners-Lee]], the creator of the World Wide Web, indicated his disapproval of the concept and is quoted as saying of his data and web history:

{{Blockquote|It's mine – you can't have it. If you want to use it for something, then you have to negotiate with me. I have to agree, I have to understand what I'm getting in return. I myself feel that it is very important that my ISP supplies internet to my house like the water company supplies water to my house. It supplies connectivity with no strings attached. My ISP doesn't control which websites I go to, it doesn't monitor which websites I go to.|Sir Tim Berners-Lee, 2008<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cellan-Jones |first=Rory |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7299875.stm |title=Web creator rejects net tracking |work=BBC News |date=17 March 2008 |access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222023128/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7299875.stm |archive-date=22 February 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}