According to a new
report by the Ponemon Institute,
a privacy research group, privacy advocates are having an influence on online
advertising and the kind of online data collected, disclosed and used. Markets
are holding back because of the uncertain legal and regulatory environment.
Congress and the Federal Trade Commission are also mulling tighter
restrictions. The advertising industry is also developing a meaningful
self-regulatory program. The effort includes public education and technology —
a click-on icon — to tell consumers what is happening when they see a targeted
ad that uses demographics and behavioral data. The ad industry plans to roll
that technology out in online ads within a few months.
Want to find out who
is tracking your online activity? Take a look at Ghostery, a free application from the Better Advertising Project that
can help you figure out the ad networks, behavioral data providers, web
publishers, and other companies interested in your activity and helps you block
messages and images from companies you don’t trust.
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