Opt in to Effective Marketing

Thanks to third party tracking cookies, information concerning our browsing habits are logged each time we log on and browse the net.  Whether this is a good or bad thing is debatable, as it depends on our own sense of privacy and the aggressiveness of marketers.  It can be argued that tracking online behavior is good because it allows advertisers to deliver cost effective ads that are extremely focused and targeted that actually interest web users.  If behavioral marketing were to bombard me with ads, I would definitely be more interested in finding out about upcoming events my area, cool night spots, good eats, and tech products that interest me, rather than male enhancement drugs, mystery cures, and political attack ads ...but then again were those target ads???

Behavioral marketing has at times made me wonder about the information that collected by 3rd party cookies. Like many internet users, I remain skeptical about the anonymity of the information collected, as there is always a way to trace information back to end users.  It might be a good idea for users concerned with tracking tools to access their browser settings and block cookies, install additional browser extensions, or perhaps wait for the proposed  "Do Not Track Tool" the FTC recently proposed that will allow users to opt out of online tracking.  The proposed opt out button signals a move in the right direction by the FTC to protect online consumers. The proposal is just a small step in preventing online tracking of users, however, the it can definitely spur the movement for increased privacy settings in browsers that will ultimately protect online consumers. I hope to see the option for users to either completely "opt out" or choose specific types of targeted ads users can "opt in" to.

One major concern is that social networks, such as Facebook, with large personal information databases were ignored by the the FTC's new proposal for online privacy. In the mean time, while the FTC's proposal remains up for decision, Facebook users out there who are concerned about the information collected by 3rd party applications installed within the site should install Facebook Disconnect,  a Google Chrome web-browser extension that blocks traffic from third-party sites to Facebook servers. Facebook is notified whenever a user visits one of the more than 1 million sites on the web that use Facebook Connect. According to the developers of the browser extension, Facebook has a history of leaking personal information to 3rd party apps. This browser extension is just a small tool that allows users to protect their browsing habits and privacy.  As always, its important that internet users police themselves and make sure they are aware of the websites they visit and the applications they install.


- Derrick