Is BT really committed to an unholy matrimony with behavioural advertising service Phorm? Or is the country’s biggest broadband provider beginning to lose its nerve?

Last week BT turned down an invitation to defend Phorm and its like at the House of Commons, using the excuse that it was “too close” to the technology. Presumably, BT will be gracefully bowing out every time broadband is discussed at Government level in the future… 

Today, when asked to comment on Phorm’s claim that making the service opt-out would be enough to pacify the data watchdogs, BT could hardly be less committal. Just look at the obsfucation, in the following, verbatim comment from a BT spokesman.

“The situation for us is… if we roll out, because we’re not fully committed yet, we’re still deciding, we’re looking at reviewing the trial results still… and we’ll be announcing next steps in due course. Suffice to say, if we do roll out we’ll give customers a clear choice.”

BT denies it’s trying to distance itself from Phorm, but its public pronouncements read like those hastily prepared statements issued by Hollywood couples, insisting everything’s fine in their marriage… just before they announce their divorce.

Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m reading far too much into far too little, but I’ll certainly be checking the tone, as well as the content, of BT and Phorm’s announcements over the coming weeks.