The Synchronous Converter

There is an update in Clickz on the never ending delays in the BT vs. Phorm trials. It is obvious that past statements of the trial due to start “imminently” or within the next few weeks have yielded nothing. Things are still at a standstill, with weeks turning into months, resulting in a mounting pressure from groups that are opposed to Phorm technology. Phorm is an advertising system, considered by most to be highly controversial. Working with broadband providers, Phorm will anonymously scrutinize the websites one visits, and then use this as a development and targeting tool for advertising campaigns.

Adam Liversage, Chief Press Officer for BT, states that they have not discarded the trial. He says that plans are still underway to have the technology tried, but proceedings have not yet started. Once some things get ironed out, the trial will begin, and that should happen sometime soon. Allegations have been made that BT is delaying the proceedings as they try a new methodology that will allow consumers to opt out. Liversage denies this allegation, stating that they are indeed working through some issues, but that a cookie/non-cookie methodology would never resolve this issue. The reasons being that since cookies are created by your browser; if a user normally switches between browsers (which is quite common), then such a system cannot possibly prove efficient.