Comments on: EC goes after Britain over Phorm DPI

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:08:26 +0000

I believe it’s time to form a new country where genuine liberty and direct democracy reins. Leave these self serving, corrupt, and fascist governments to rule a state composed entirely of themselves.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:02:06 +0000

Thank god for the EC. Our government is so inept and prejudiced to the rights of its citizens that it has almost become a joke internationally. They care nothing for liberty as evidenced by the Andy Burnham statement concerning censorship which he calls “protecting the children” and we all know who claimed that same argument while slowly encroaching upon the freedom of the german people. Suffice to say the UK government is realising its dream of totalitarianism which ironically had been prophesied and depicted by films such as 1984 and V for Vendetta. Shame on my government. The UK is a scary place to live.

By: Linda_Margaret

Linda_Margaret — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 07:34:24 +0000

I work in Social Media in the capital of Europe in Brussels, but I’m US according to my citizenship and cultural/legal background. There is a trend in European culture and legal actions towards protection of private personal data, whereas in North American online culture and legal structure, the trend is more towards the protection of online copyright and content ownership and credit. (US concern for copyright is not unlike British concern for libel–legally, I mean.) I think that the UK, already an EU Member State with a history of several concerns regarding State sovereignty being superseded by EU institutions, may have finally forced a real show down with the European Court of Justice. The UK has been there before (over maintaining the UK measurements, as I’m sure you’ll remember. If not, a refresher is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_Martyr), and struck a “let’s do both UK and EU labeling”. But this time, I think it will be much harder to strike a compromise. You can’t maintain privacy while not maintaining it.

By: Alexander Hanff

Alexander Hanff — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:49:19 +0000

Well it is not over yet. We have to make sure we keep the pressure on and keep this in public view. The next two months will be interesting and we are all very keen to see what the UK Government does in response to being put on Notice. The question is, will Phorm still be around in 2 months to face charges or will their business now completely collapse as investors lose confidence? Only time will tell but we still intend to organise a meeting with the EU Commission this summer to further the public lobby.

Of course once this has played out we will expand our campaigning to other online privacy issues and the next couple of months we will start looking at bringing our umbrella web site Privacy-Online.org.uk online, which will focus on other threats to online privacy (as opposed to just Deep Packet Inspection).

But when all is said and done, the news today is a great result and really illustrates how much difference the general public can make when they empower themselves to do so. This was always a grass roots campaign with no funding other than public donations – so it is the general public who deserve the credit, I am just very proud to have witnessed and been involved in such a successful public lobby on an issue of such high importance.

Thanks for the continued coverage – people can read the NoDPI response here:

https://nodpi.org/2009/04/14/eu-commission-starts-legal-action-against-uk-gov-over-phorm/

Alexander Hanff

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:28:19 +0000

You’re welcome, m8. You took on a hell of a lot and you achieved a hell of a lot.

Cheers!

By: Alexander Hanff

Alexander Hanff — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:05:34 +0000

Thanks Jon,

This was a good day for privacy in the UK.

Alexander Hanff