Multichannel News – November 4, 2011 Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Tex.) appear generally satisfied with how Verizon and Verizon Wireless handled consent for and disclosure of consumer’s online information for a new targeted advertising program, but said they still wished it were an opt-in, rather than an opt-out regime.
The Privacy Debate
Privacy is a popular topic today – the online advertising debate of privacy versus functionality is a big conversation in the media. Too often privacy is viewed at odds with the goals of industry, but we think that’s the easy way out. We believe that with a little thought, it’s possible to have both privacy and functionality.
Below is a collection of articles that capture the essence of the online advertising privacy debate. You’ll find articles that are on both sides of the conversation, but you’ll also find discussion on how to balance the needs of privacy and industry. Enjoy!
Balancing the needs for online advertising and privacy
TechRepublic – August 29, 2011 I have spent considerable time researching and writing about the tug of war between purveyors of online advertising and privacy pundits. Others have as well, each making solid points for their chosen beliefs.
Why ‘Privacy By Design’ Is The New Corporate Hotness
Forbes – July 28, 2011 How can companies with lots of sensitive data about us strive for “privacy by design” instead of “embarrassment by design“? After Fitbit.com fell into the latter camp by failing to foresee the downside of making its users’ activity-tracking-journals public by default (when one of the 800 activities users tracked was S-E-X), I reached out to Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian, who has been pushing companies since the 1990s to embrace the concept of “privacy by design.”
Internet privacy controls challenge tech industry
Businessweek – July 26, 2011 The federal government has put Google, Microsoft, Apple and other technology companies on notice: Give consumers a way prevent advertisers from tracking their movements across the Web — or face regulation.
Study Finds Online Ad Firms Don’t Abide By ‘Do Not Track’ Requests
Threatpost – July 15, 2011 A study by Stanford University Law School’s Center for Internet and Society has found that many online advertising networks are not adhering to their own privacy policies and continue to rely on and push out Web tracking cookies even after users have indicated that they do not wish to be tracked.