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Vodaphone accused of mobile internet snooping
Tuesday 8th March 2011, by Daniel King
Vodafone UK have been accused of 'snooping' on their mobile internet customers, which could give users an incentive to switch providers.
Customers noticed their surfing was being tracked by an automated system which could load the same website address an instant after they had requested it, reports ISPreview.
The site says a customer managed to trace the activity back to its source – BlueCoat, a technology firm based in California.
BlueCoat has been providing the UK mobile network with website filtering and anti-malware services since 2006.
Webpulse, a service offered by the firm, categorises web content and allows the customer to decide how it is handled.
A spokesperson for BlueCoat told ISPreview that parents can use the software to prevent childen from accessing adult sites.
In addition, the firm said no content or user information goes into the service, protecting privacy. Only URL addresses are recorded by the software.
However, under the Regulation of Invesitgatory Powers Act 200 (RIPA), "interception of a communication" is prohibited, which could mean Vodafone UK is acting illegally in using the software on its mobile broadband customers.
URL addresses could still contain private user information such as names, addresses and passwords.
Monitoring of this kind has been carried out by other mobile broadband providers, according to Privacy International.
Alexander Hanff, of Privacy International, told the site: "This is a big issue not limited to Vodafone.
I did a review in 2009 of all the mobile contracts in the UK and apart from "Three" all of them had terms and conditions which allowed them to intercept and use their customers communications data for marketing purposes."
Vodafone UK issued a statement explaining that their use of a BlueCoat filter was to apply adult restrictions appropriately.
The company said they used the technology to protect younger customers and block illegal content, as required by industry obligations.
Categories: Vodafone
