Phorm is a new service that will connect advertisers to their audiences by monitoring their browsing habits and then serving up ads that should reflect their interests or intentions. For example if you've visited a series of pages or sites looking at say BMW cars you'll be served up ads from BMW retailers. Simple right? What could be wrong with that?
Well, in a sense nothing. As long as no personal data is held or at risk from criminal elements (which the owners of phorm stress is not the case), and as long as it is an opt-in system and not imposed by ISPs onto their customers, surely it is cutting out some stages of the engagement funnel.
The success or otherwise of systems like this (as in the past) will be whether or not it is seen as a bridge to relevant offers - a streamlining effect - in other words a permissible marketing message, or rather another interruption to what the customer wants to do.
Relevance as ever will be the acid test...
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7349715.stm for a good overview of the debate in London yesterday evening.