Virgin posts Phorm statement

Virgin Media have posted a statement on their website to update their customers on behavioural advertising technology they have been looking into - including Phorm, which they signed a deal to look into (along with BT and TalkTalk) in February 2008.

The statement, which went up towards the end of this week, says:

Over the last 18 months, Virgin Media has conducted a comprehensive technical and legal assessment of Phorm's technology and consumers' attitudes towards interest-based advertising. This review has not involved the deployment of Phorm technology across our network.

We continue to believe interest-based advertising has potentially important benefits for consumers, internet service providers and website owners. However, given the fast moving nature of the sector, Virgin Media intends to extend its review of potential opportunities with suppliers including Phorm prior to making any commitment to launch any of these technologies.

We recognise some consumers have significant concerns about the potential implications of interest-based advertising for their privacy. Virgin Media is committed to ensuring that any future deployment complies not only with the relevant legal requirements but - as an absolute minimum - the best practice guidelines contained in the Internet Advertising Bureau's recently published code of practice.

Virgin Media will communicate openly and transparently with consumers before and after any future deployment of interest-based advertising technologies across its network.

Reference

You can download a copy of the Internet Advertising Bureau's Good Practice Principles for Online Behavioural Advertising here.

The statement appears to mark that other company's technology is now being looked into - not just Phorm any longer.