City of London Police will not investigate
BT and Phorm over
adware trials carried out on customers without their
permission.
The police were handed information about BT and Phorm from
campaigners who protested at BT's annual shareholder meeting in
July.
An e-mail from City of London Police to one privacy campaigner,
Alex Hanff, reads: "The matter will not be investigated by the City
of London Police as it has been decided that no criminal offence
has been committed.
"One of the main reasons for this decision is the lack of
criminal intent on behalf of BT and Phorm, in relation to the
tests. It is also believed there would have been a level of implied
consent from BT's customers in relation to the tests, as the aim
was to enhance their products."
The decison not to investigate has been slammed by the
Foundation for Information Policy Research, which believes
BT and Phorm acted wrongly.