Broadband minister at UK.gov has Phorm director as an advisor

The department that is at the centre of UK internet policy and has been tasked to respond to recent demands to tighten laws regarding privacy on the internet by the European Commission apparently has a member of Phorm’s board working as a taxpayer-funded broker.

His Digital Britain review job was totally separated from any disputes that were current ongoing between Brussels and the UK government insisted Kip Meek as he recently defended his dual positions.

The lack of regulatory response to the secret trials of profiling and internet interception technology during 2006 and 2007 by BT and Phorm has led to infringement proceedings being taken out against the UK recently by the Commission. The response from government, which if not satisfactory could end with the European Court of Justice imposing large fines, is currently being coordinated by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).

The current position held by Kip Meek, a non-executive director of Phorm, within the BERR has caused questions to be raised over the action, although it has been advised that he will not be leaving his job as there was no conflict of interest as far as the government is concerned.

A spokeswoman said “I can say with absolute certainty there has been no discussion about Phorm between Kip and anyone here in the department. Kip Meek is not Stephen Carter’s internet advisor. He is the Independent Spectrum Broker – appointed following recommendations in the interim Digital Britain report.”

Although no figures were disclosed she did advise that BERR paid Meek a day rate.

The division of the radio spectrum between mobile phone operators and the encouragement of these operators to deliver on the universal broadband coverage commitment made by Lord Carter is the role of the Independent Spectrum Broker. The concept that its systems will provide ISPs with a means to pay for new infrastructure has, throughout the controversy that has been prompted by the secret trials, been one of the central lobbying claims made by Phorm.

It was maintained that there is no conflict by a spokeswomen for BERR saying “Kip Meek is not working on delivering universal broadband,” she said. He is working on producing a report to Government about a possible solution to the current road block on the release of spectrum, to ensure we have the infrastructure for future developments in mobile broadband. He is not looking at possible funding models for mobile broadband, only the way spectrum is used. There is no conflict of interest in this.”

BERR’s position was also echoed by Meek, saying “I am consulting on spectrum. These things are totally separate as far as I’m concerned. It’s completely unrelated to anything Phorm might do.”