GNG News Guy
05-23-2008, 10:16 AM
http://i.dslr.net/urls/67/2467.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FTC-Investigating-Behavioral-Advertising-94667)
It appears that the FTC is digging deeper (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/21/AR2008052102989.html) into whether behavioral advertising violates user privacy. As I mentioned Tuesday (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/94578), tracking user browsing in order to deliver targeted ads could be illegal in its current form, given the opt-out processes don't actually work (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/Charter-Starts-Selling-Your-Browsing-History-94421). With online advertising being an $11 billion business, and the current FTC generally believing that doing nothing (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/85271) is a policy, don't expect much intervention from the FTC. At best we could see ISPs forced to clearly announce their use of such systems, as opposed to burying it in fine print (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/93375) and then playing mute (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/93482).
It appears that the FTC is digging deeper (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/21/AR2008052102989.html) into whether behavioral advertising violates user privacy. As I mentioned Tuesday (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/94578), tracking user browsing in order to deliver targeted ads could be illegal in its current form, given the opt-out processes don't actually work (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/Charter-Starts-Selling-Your-Browsing-History-94421). With online advertising being an $11 billion business, and the current FTC generally believing that doing nothing (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/85271) is a policy, don't expect much intervention from the FTC. At best we could see ISPs forced to clearly announce their use of such systems, as opposed to burying it in fine print (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/93375) and then playing mute (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/93482).