BT 'spies' on customers
Updated on 03 April 2008
Brigid Nzewku reports on why BT secretly spied on its customers and meets the man who's trying to throw the book at them for it.
BT has admitted that it secretly monitored customers' internet surfing activities in trials of new software in 2006 and 2007.
Channel 4 News at Noon first reported this story a month ago after being contacted by a concerned consumer. The data protection watchdog is investigating this possible breach of the law which could have affected thousands of BT customers. Our Money Reporter, Bridgid Nzekwu reports
Watch the interview with Emma Sanderson
Krishan Guru-Murthy spoke to BT's head of value added services, Emma Sanderson and asked her if BT were going to offer Stephen Mainwaring an apology? Watch the full report here.
Stephen Mainwaring from Weston Super Mare is one very angry BT customer. Last year, after noticing strange goings-on on his computer he contacted his internet service provider BT, who told him he had a virus. But in fact it was nothing of the kind. He'd been part of a secret BT trial to track customers surfing behaviour.
"I ran a lot of virus scans, updates and things. I even bought new PC, but as soon as I plugged it in started coming up with problem. BT kept insisting it was a virus, and it's not. It turns out they were doing secret tests." - Stephen Mainwaring, BT customer
The technology used was developed by a company called Phorm. Their software uses anonymous data gleaned from surfing activity and matches relevant adverts to people's interests.
Phorm claims it's a major benefit both to consumers and advertisers. But BT is now accused of spying and has admitted it didn't tell its customers what it was doing.
"It was individuals who suspected that this was happening to them, who then confronted BT and BT prevaricated for a very long time. It is only now at the beginning of 2008 that BT has admitted that's what were doing.
"Frankly that was disgraceful by BT to have done it, it would be huge diminution of our rights as individuals if this whole system is allowed to go ahead without us all being given the opportunity to opt in or out" - Don Foster, Lib Dem Culture Spokesman
'BT kept insisting it was a virus, and it's not. It turns out they were doing secret tests.'- Stephen Mainwaring, BT customer
"The act of anonymising the surfing history of someone is in itself processing personal data. And someone is doing that, whether it's ISP or Phorm, so there's a good argument that that is a breach of the Data Protection Act." - Mike Conradi, Technology Lawyer
Stephen Mainwaring is upset that BT hasn't apologised and is considering how best he can get a full explanation about what happened.
"I'm pretty sure it will be reported to the local high-tech crime unit, because BT is refusing to answer key questions. I don't think they'll will refuse to answer questions from the police." - Stephen Mainwaring, BT customer
This is not just a question of whether customers right to privacy may have been breached. It's also a sign of deep set problem within the internet service provider business.
Some BT rivals, like Carphone Warehouse, are giving away broadband free with phone packages. Selling targeted advertising could be a lucrative way to generate much needed revenue, but many customers are nervous that it amounts to snooping on them.
This admission by BT that it has tracked customer's internet surfing will only increase those concerns.
