When we go on the Internet, we are like Hansel and Gretel leaving information breadcrumbs—birthdays, financial histories, relationship statuses etc. Who’s collecting these bread crumbs? Advertiser use marketing pitches that use data about an individual’s online activities in order to tailor ads to that person, called ad tracking. They have used ad tracking to estimate the return on investment (ROI) of advertising, and to refine advertising plans. A debate over ad tracking has come into light. Natasha Singer, a graduate from Brown University with a degree in comparative literature and creative writing and writer for New York Times, gives more perspective in her article “Factions Feud over Online ‘Do Not Track’ Standard.”
The Federal Trade Commission now says privacy-related harms needn’t be economic or physical but can also include practices that “unexpectedly reveal previously private information” like purchasing habits. Earlier this year President Barack Obama endorsed “Do Not Track,” a browser technology that would limit tracking and potentially block ads like Amazon’s that target you based on your past Web surfing.
On the one hand, consumer advocates argue that Internet users should be able to limit that kind of online surveillance. On the other hand industry groups also said any system should still permit companies to collect information about users’ browsing activities for market research and product development purposes. Co-chairman of the Tracking Protection Working Group, Peter Swire said that “Do Not Track is
a kind of digital equivalent to the “Do Not Call” list, a national registry in the U.S. through which consumers may opt out of phone solicitations.
I think that the Don Not Track system is a work in progress, if done correctly it can work out great. Some consumers do prefer and don’t mind it, while others feel it is an invasion of privacy. People have to have a choice because many of the times consumers would not have bought a product had it not been for the ad tracking/ad that was sent to them specifically. I know it has been the case for me. Also, there has to be a way that enforcers ad networks and data brokers to honor the don’t-track-me browser flags, otherwise they can easily ignore it. A balance needs to be found between the two. Enforcing the policy for everyone would probably bring down profit companies make. And not putting in something for those whom really are bothered by invasion of privacy would anger them even more. Like Swire said:
The overarching theme is how to give users choice about their Internet experience while also funding a useful Internet.