Online Ad Targeting Progresses in UK, Lags in US
That data is then discarded, Phorm has said. The IP (Internet Protocol) address -- which identifies a PC connected to the Internet and can be linked to a person's account with an ISP -- is not recorded.
Similarly, NebuAd collects browsing information in order to build profiles for advertising categories and other data is deleted, Dykes told the Senate Committee on July 9.
Advertisers who have signed up with Phorm can then buy ads related to those interests, knowing that only people who have expressed some interest or searched for certain terms will see those ads. It offers a much more precise way for advertisers to hit their target audience, while ISPs get a share of the ad revenue for using the system.
But frequent data breaches involving major companies have brought a sense of unease among privacy activists over the systems. Those groups in both the U.S. and U.K. have pushed for government intervention.
Get the latest on network infrastructure tools and technologies.
