Virgin Media and another illegal DPI software

[zalternate]

Just like Phorm and Nebuad before them, yet another illegal monitoring of users Internet traffic for either 'ad revenues' or 'monitoring of users data' for the Copyright Mafia to detect and eject filesharers from the Internet. Including Grandma with the unsecured wireless router.

All this deep monitoring and data retention is illegal. And will constantly be ruled to be illegal. So why do companies keep resurrecting illegal methods of violating users privacy and Rights.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1588665/virgin-fingered-eu

 

                    Virgin Media fingered to the EC                                                                                                 

Web traffic tracking tool targeted                                                 

By David Neal                                                                   

Tuesday, 26 January 2010, 16:05 

                                                                                                   

PRIVACY INTERNATIONAL has pushed ahead with its plans to ask the European Commission to take a look at a controversial Virgin Media web traffic monitoring tool.

The tool in question is called CView, which was developed by Detica and is set to be used by Virgin Media to monitor its users' web habits.Although Virgin is only said to be considering use of the tool, the privacy advocacy group has warned that if Virgin goes ahead with the plan, it will throw the full weight of the law at it.

In November when the idea was first suggested, the group said, "The global watchdog organization Privacy International today expressed its deep concern at the revelation that Virgin Media is about to commence a trial of Deep Packet Inspection technology by Detica, known as CView.

"It has been reported in the press that Virgin Media is planning to deploy the trials across 40 per cent of its customer base without either obtaining a warrant or seeking the consent of all parties involved in the communications."

Alexander Hanff, head of ethical networks at Privacy International,added, "I am deeply concerned that Detica's CView used in this way will infringe on consumer's fundamental rights to privacy as afforded to them under UK and EU Law. I am dismayed that despite the Commission's Infringement Action, the private sector still believe they can conduct such activity lawfully. The Commission have made themselves completely clear that informed consent is required under existing EU Directives.Due to the chaotic enforcement by relevant public authorities, that the UK has become a hotbed for surveillance."

Today Hanff confirmed that the EC was investigating the use of the technology, which he said was illegal. In a letter from the EC, whichwe have seen, the regulators said that they would seek to protect the rights of individuals and businesses in the face of "the interception or surveillance of communications."

Closer to home, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is also looking at Virgin's use of Cview, and Hanff added, "They are currently investigating the situation with regards to Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). I am in regular contact with ICO and they will let me know as soon as they have reached a decision."

Hanff added that although Virgin has not pushed ahead with its launch yet, he would be ready when it did. "I will put in a criminal complaint with the Metropolitan police under the RIPA act for illegal interception, just as I did with Phorm."

Over at rival ISP Talktalk, the firm's chief executive, Charles Dunstone has also been discussing privacy and copyright infringement.Dunstone checked in to a meeting this week hosted by Talktalk in London to air his views on the dangers of cutting off file sharers, and reports suggest that he believes that copyright holders should take their own actions against copyright infringers rather than relying on the government to launch its "three strikes and you're out" policy.Once Talktalk remembers its own "it's good to talk" maxim and picks up the phone, we hope to provide you with more information. 

[zalternate]

This should go good with extra monitoring of a users connection for the pocket books of the copyright mafia. 

http://techdirt.com/articles/20100125/1533037892.shtml

Yes, Three Strikes Laws Have Unintended Consequences That Even Music Industry Execs Hate

from the surprise,-surprise dept               

As noted earlier, I'm at the Midem music industry conference this week in Cannes, in the south of France. France, of course, has been at the forefront of many of the debates over copyright issues, with its Sarkozy-backed push to be one of the first countries to implement a"three accusations and you're off the internet" policy (despite Sarkozy's political party's own long history of infringing).There really hasn't been that much discussion this year about the whole three strikes thing (last year, it was one of the main topics), which seems a bit odd. However, I did randomly see a twitter message from theguy who runs a travel rental business here in Cannes, Lao Watson-Smith,pointing out that all these music industry execs are complaining about all their accommodations having locked down WiFi(even when it's offered free), and noting that the only reason why these connections need to all be locked down is because of the three strikes laws that they pushed through. And, indeed, it is rather annoying. My hotel has "free wifi" (which seems to go down regularly) but you still need a user name and password, and once you log in with one device it will not let you log in with any other device. You must use that one device exclusively. When the official WiFi went dead, I went in search of other networks, including one called "Free WiFi," but when I accessed that, it still asked me for my username and password (which I obviously don't have). It certainly is somewhat amusing to find out that the music industry execs are annoyed by the consequences of the law they so desperately claim they need. 

[tommie gorman]

I find the first post most interesting, and right in the hands of the people. Ok so you find what they have  through illegal means, and take them to court, you just set them free also. It gets thrown out of court, and the media mafia has no good evidence since it all got thrown out. And in the mean time you scared a few teens to straighten up for a bit.

Kind of funny in a way.  LMAO.

Yep, not good for the media police at all.