I must say I’m shocked at the swiftness that the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)has responded to the Phorm system. The ICO has warned Phorm that the system must be opt in - something that a lot of people have been screaming for ages.

I’m a little worried about Phorm’s response which doesn’t recognise anything the ICO has said about being an opt in service - lets hope it’s just saving face rather than thinking of trying to run with it anyway.

There are still questions regarding data interception but I’m sure the pressure will be kept up and matters resolved. We might actually see a system that could be successful but go about getting the information the correct and ethical way.

Full ICO Phorm statement.

I spotted an interesting article today that references a study that relates online advertising to offline results. It’s pretty obvious that the effects of advertising online aren’t going to relate to results just online however I don’t think I’ve actually seen any figures relating to this.

So then now we know the following about online advertising:

• Online results are easily measurable.
• >80% of transactions initiated online are completed offline.
• The new study found an 3 month online advertising campaign increased online sale 40% and offline sales 50%!
• Online advertising increases brand recognition.
• Online advertising doesn’t clog up my letterbox.

Not content at being a hugely ineffective, unaccountable, inefficient behemoth BT have now decided to break the law by monitoring 30,000 users without permission for a trial of the potential Phorm system! An alternative opinion on Phorm is here.

Personally I don’t have a massive problem with the idea behind the system if it means I get targeted adverts that I might actually be interested in. However there are still major questions about privacy and surely this should be an opt in system not just be rolled out for every user?

As for trialling without people’s permission - which planet are these people on? Hang em all!

Google was formulated on the principle “Don’t be evil” and has tried to keep to this throughout their rise. However more recently people are beginning to question this and I really have to disagree.

I don’t think it comes down to being good or evil life just isn’t that black and white. Google is a massive company now and it just comes down to good business. So I disagree that Google is good and I disagree that Google is evil.

In much the same way Microsoft is seen as the evil empire by most people and Apple whiter than white when this is far from the case for both.

All companies have to make money, and as much money as they possibly can. The problem is when a company gets so large or has such a large share of a market then some actions could be seen as anti-competitive. However depending on the company’s reputation it seems these actions that step over the line are treated in different ways.

Take Google for example, with their squeaky clean image they have been appalled by the prospective takeover of Yahoo! by Microsoft. Was this because of the potential damage to the openness of the Internet or because it would put Microhoo! on a more equal footing with Google current strangle hold?

An entry posted on the Google blog by David Drummond titled “Yahoo! and the future of the Internet” certainly raises questions but the same could be asked of Google so what makes them “holier than thou”?

Google’s recent acquisition of DoubleClick has surely got to raise more questions but seems to be more low key maybe because of Google’s good guy reputation even though Google now controls 69% of the online advertising market!

Apple too seems to have this “do no wrong” reputation even though having, in my opinion, just as serious anti-competitive tactics with the iPod - iTunes system as Microsoft has done in the past. Still you’ve got to admire the best marketing in the World bar none as really this hasn’t got the column inches you’d expect!

I believe people should really take a step back and take a long hard look before passing judgement based on image (or in some cases bordering on religious zealotry). These are all huge companies that look after themselves first there is no good or evil it’s just business - get over it.