Interesting to see Phorm's reply in post 797. They say the following about spyware:
Quote:
1. It is installed on a user's computer without their knowledge or
consent
2. It is hidden so that the user cannot find it
3. It is designed to be difficult or impossible for the user to remove
4. Does some harm (often illegal) to the user or their computer: in the
case of spyware, stealing information (particularly passwords, credit card details etc.)
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While OIX doesn't install anything (apart from a cookie or two) on your PC, it can (although we have no way of knowing if it will) be configured to monitor your comms regardless of whether you have given consent or not.
Phorm is hidden. In that you don't get any visible sign you are being monitored. Even if the ads aren't being displayed, because of the way the monitoring is being done, we have know way of knowing if our browsing habits are being recorded or not. Beyond the assurances of a company that we have no knowledge of beyond the fact that it's previous products have been labelled spyware by various independant experts.
If configured to monitor your comms regardless of the opt out (which according to the presentation I have seen, it can be), Phorm would actually be impossible for the user to remove unless they change ISP.
Also, it may steal info. Again, we have only the word of Phorm that it discards personal data.
So, according to their own definition, the OIX system could be considered spyware.