Nov

2

FTC Asked to Probe Online Ad Profiling

November 2, 2006 |

I am sure Steve Gillmor is going to be happy about this. Looks like the users are taking charge. The Washington Post reports that two consumer advocacy groups are asking the FTC to check into the possiblility that the profiling done by Google, Yahoo and Microsoft could violate privacy laws.

This one should be interesting to watch. I have to look into who these advocacy groups are (Center for Digital Democracy and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group) and see what connections they have. I know of the PIRG, but I haven’t heard of the Center for Digital Democracy.

Groups Ask FTC to Probe Online Ad Profiling

Two consumer advocacy groups asked the Federal Trade Commission yesterday to investigate online advertising practices of Internet companies, asserting that the practices violate consumer privacy.

In a 50-page complaint, the D.C.-based Center for Digital Democracy and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group outlined online consumer tracking and profiling systems that they said are “deceptive and unfair to millions of users.”

“Our online travels are increasingly becoming part of vast databases that comprise the source material for sophisticated analytical engines designed solely to make us more susceptible to online marketing,” the complaint said.

Update: Link to the actual filing (PDF)

And a short excerpt:

Consumers entering this new online world are neither informed of nor prepared for these technologies and techniques—including data gathering and mining, audience targetingand tracking—that render users all but defenseless before the sophisticated assault of new-media marketing. It is evident that attempts at self-regulation by the industry, such as the Network Advertising Initiative “principles,” have failed to protect the public.
Current privacy disclosure policies are totally inadequate, failing to effectively inform
users how and what data are being collected and used. While many companies claim
they collect only “non-personally identifiable” information, they fail to acknowledge the tremendous amounts of data compiled and associated with each unique visitor who visits their website. Thus even if these companies don’t know our names, through online tracking and analysis they literally know every move we make.

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1 Comment so far

  1. Albert on November 23, 2006 8:28 pm

    Self done is well done… Albert

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