Broadband service provider Orange is not going to use controversial tracking technology from Phorm (at least not for now) because it values the privacy of its customers according to Paul-François Fournier, the senior vice-president of Orange’s online advertising division.
In a brief interview to the Financial Times, Mr Fourier said that the France Telecom owned company considers that Phorm does not provide with a clear message when it comes to collecting customers' data, adding "that Privacy is in our DNA, so we need to be honest and clear about what we are doing."
But he stopped short of saying that Orange (or Indeed France Telecom) will not use an toned-down version of Phorm or indeed any other provider of targeted advertising.
Broadband providers have had to resort to getting alternative revenue sources to improve their profitability and their competitiveness.
In addition, advertisers are looking for ways to maximise their investment and can no longer afford to display adverts that have cannot be targeted to some degree.
BT has already started trialling Phorm and it is no secret that other major service providers like Virgin Media and Carphone Warehouse are also considering implementing this scheme.
Interestingly, BT's version of Phorm, called Webwise, is being presented as a service to help web users stay safe.
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