Phorm denies report it’s losing Virgin Media

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Phorm has denied claims that leading internet service providers (ISPs) BT and Virgin Media are dropping out of the behavioural advertising service, following a report suggesting controversy around the deep packet inspection system has discouraged the firms.

New Media Age said Virgin Media is set to sign a deal with a different advertising firm, Audience Science, while BT is looking at other advertising avenues.

Phorm claimed the story was untrue. “There is no substance to today’s New Media Age story,” it said in a statement. “Over the last year there have been continuous attempts to create the illusion that Phorm’s ISP partners are parting ways with the company. This is yet another example of such a story, which has no basis in fact.”

BT refused to comment, while a Virgin Media spokesman told IT PRO that its agreement with Phorm to evaluate its technology was still on. The spokesman added that it was looking at other technologies, but had made no decisions or held formal talks yet and was not on the verge of signing any such deal.

Last week, both Amazon and the Wikimedia Foundation opted out of Phorm’s scanning system – although Phorm has said it is looking to win the firms back.

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