Politicians to investigate behavioural advertising
Share
UK-- Politicians are launching an investigation to assess whether the government should step in to regulate online behavioural advertising technology.
The technology, and several other internet issues, including whether ISPs should take more responsibility for the traffic on their networks, such as indecent images of children, is being investigated by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Communications (apComms).
The group, whose remit is to encourage discussion between parliament and the communications industry, said that “increasing” concerns about online privacy need to be addressed in its report, which is due in August.
One of the questions posed by the group asked: “Should the government be intervening over behavioural advertising services, either to encourage or discourage their deployment; or is
this entirely a matter for individual users, ISPs and websites?”
The group said: “Opinions differ very widely as to which of these activities should be forbidden, which should be insisted upon, which raise insurmountable privacy issues, and which should be left to the marketplace to determine whether the idea is viable.”
The communications industry has until the end of May to contribute to apComms's debate before evidence sessions are held in parliament in June.
The investigation follows the European Commission's decision to launch infringement proceedings against the UK over the way it handled BT's secret trials of Phorm's targeted ad technology.
Phorm said it “welcomed” the government's move and would be in touch with apComms before the May deadline.
Author: James Verrinder
Related links:
Privacy group says online tracking ‘dangerous'
Now Wikimedia says no to Phorm scanning
ISBA calls on Europe to halt legal action over Phorm trial
