"Some of Britain's biggest firms were last night accused of 'spying' ...after they admitted 'listening in' on disgruntled conversations on the internet. The companies include BT, which uses specially developed software to scan for negative comments about it on websites including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The firms claim there is nothing sinister about the practice… but privacy campaigners have accused them of 'outright spying'..."
This story, and the moral outrage at the heart of it, is of course an utter nonsense - aimed at hijacking the irrational fears of a tiny minority of people who neither know nor care what Twitter and Facebook are but think they should probably be scared nonetheless... just in case.
The report even admits its source is only "one disgruntled customer" - who either took, or rather conveniently feigned, offence at being contacted by BT after complaining about the company on Facebook.
What the Mail doesn't tell us is who the anonymous source is. So for all we know it is a close family member of a Daily Mail reporter, or even a Mail staffer helping a colleague to further the paper's rather comical campaign against the evils of the internet.
Granted, the rent-a-quote privacy campaigners add a veneer of credibility but a national newspaper will always find somebody willing to support a story - even when there really isn't one.
The reaction from some of the Mail's readers is predictable:"When will action be taken to ensure that BT doesn't do this again?"
Do what exactly? Listen to customer complaints? Respond to the same?
"Big brother is here."
Yeah, he's over there, hiding behind the idiots and conspiracy theorists.
But many more have pointed out the obvious: if customers post complaints on a public forum and companies then respond to see if they can help, that's actually a good thing. But if consumers do want their comments to be private they should either keep them so, or not sign up for social networking sites.
While it might seem a bit creepy for a company to track publically available content about itself, it's nowhere near as bad as, say, using secret recordings of private conversations, or using details obtained by hacking into databases in order to track down people to their home addresses, get their home phone numbers, and so on.
I can't for the life of me think of a company that would do those things, though. Perhaps the Daily Mail could investigate...?
Posted by: Anton Vowl | Jun 06, 2010 at 17:29
Shame on Privacy International! Yes they are "rent-a-quotes" as you say, but they have normally shown some standards.
I think as the previous comment suggests, nobody breaches privacy like the tabloids, so why would Privacy International do anything to support the Mail's line in hatred and misinformation?
Posted by: Tony | Jun 06, 2010 at 17:52
Heh, funny, I too was contacted by BT (Twitter account @BTcare) after I complained about them - PUBLICLY - on Twitter. I thought it was rather cute of them to bother.
Posted by: Clarissawam | Jun 06, 2010 at 19:26
The same 'journalist' last week ran a scare-story about Google "stealing our wi-fi" - and why we should all run for the hills and live in caves.
He's obviously destined for great things at the Mail! Clearly willing to throw his credibility in the bin and churn out internet scare stories.
Posted by: Chris B. | Jun 06, 2010 at 19:27
The language used is all so laughable:
"Specially developed software" ...is there any other kind that is fit for purpose?
"'listening in' on disgruntled conversations"... so searching the internet for any comments, positive or otherwise, which mention their brand.
The Daily Mail is a disgrace, so obvious is its agenda and its bias. But why? Did Paul Dacre get bitten by the internet as a child?
Posted by: Anon | Jun 06, 2010 at 23:22
It turns out that The Daily Mail is itself a hardcore user of web analytics: http://www.speedcommunications.com/blogs/wadds/2010/06/07/daily-mail-spies-on-its-readers-online/
Posted by: Stephen Wadddington | Jun 07, 2010 at 11:39
Will, bang on - just another Daily Mail beat-up.
I covered this over at London Calling from a customer service POV.
See http://um.tl/listenok
@andrewgrill
Posted by: Andrew Grill | Jun 07, 2010 at 11:48
"Specially developed software" - http://search.twitter.com?
Posted by: Adam | Jun 07, 2010 at 11:56