Remember the brouhaha about telemarketers calling your phone just as you sat down for dinner? It took a while, but finally Congress and the Federal Trade Commission weighed in and gave consumers a way to opt out of being called by telemarketers, the infamous DO NOT CALL registry. You go online to donotcall.gov and register your phone number. It is simple and free. It is also just about a must these days as so many of us are abandoning land lines at home for cell phones and these calls will eat into your minutes. There are exceptions of course for companies you’ve done business with, charities, and of course politicians begging for your money and your vote.
Well, a similar debate is arising over tracking cookies and similar methods of gathering data on users on the web. A recent study shows Americans support a DO NOT TRACK system by 67%. Online advertisers are defending their methods saying the public doesn’t understand how much advertising supports free websites. Earlier this year the online advertising industry came up with its own opt-out program which most Americans have never heard about.
Respondents to a recent USA today/Gallup Poll suggested that nearly half of the respondents preferred the ability to select that could target ads while 37% wanted no ad targeting at all. Part of the problem stems from malicious spyware and adware purveyors who force their wares on unsuspecting users with fake claims and deceptive practices. Perhaps if the online advertising community focused more on weeding out those who give the rest of the community a bad name there would be more acceptance for the practice from ethical advertisers.
The concept of providing individuals with the information they want, when they want it, based on past searches and navigation makes great sense. Protecting the privacy and anonymity of users at the same time however is paramount.
