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Is Personalized Advertising An Invasion Of Privacy?
from the a-little-touchy-eh? dept
Clearly, internet privacy is a pretty serious subject for a lot of people, and there's no doubt that the internet has created new avenues for invading and abusing one's privacy. But it does seem like some fears are a bit misplaced. Two public interest groups are petitioning the FTC to crack down on internet ad networks that serve targeted ads based on browsing patterns and user-supplied information, such as the form you fill out when opening up a Hotmail account. But does targeted advertising really constitute an abuse of privacy? The groups admit that a user's name isn't part of the data that goes into ads. So if someone who browses on fishing sites and does searches relating to fishing gets shown ads for fishing rods, then these groups don't like it. The complaint sounds a bit like the uproar over Gmail, when it was first announced. It would be one thing if companies were actually scanning the contents of your email, and then passing on your email address and name to companies that might pitch a product to you. But that's not what's going on. An automated system for matching advertising with users -- even if it is perfectly crafted to your tastes -- can't be an invasion of privacy if your actual identity isn't known or given out. It certainly seems like the FTC's time could be better spent on real abuses of privacy.
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Is personalized advertising an invasion of privacy
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If it works
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Re: Is personalized advertising an invasion of pri
If I enjoy "Product A" and I happen to be traveling around different locations relating to more information regarding "Product A", I would most likely already know much about "Product A" and would not need to see sub-quality "Product A" competition advertisements. This would make browsing the Internet much more difficult because I would now have to weed through crap regarding "Product A"s competition. Whereas, advertising "Product B" (A completely different product type), I can completely ignore these ads because they are in no way similar to "Product A" type.
Also, If I was once looking around for information regarding "Product A" and I found that information, what use is it to keep sending me information regarding "Product A" two weeks later... after I have already purchased "Product A" and no longer need information on it.
Its like hunting around for details on a new car purchase, say a Lexus GS450 (for example)... and then after I've already purchased that Lexus, 2 weeks later I continue to get advertisements for other vehicles - like I'm going to run out and buy another vehicle...again, I don't think so.
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Re: If it works
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Personalized Ads for Third World Women
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a108/dorpus/womyn.jpg
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Re: Re: Is personalized advertising an invasion of
So you're complaining that the mirid of advertisements out there would make your life worse if they were targeted to things you actually like rather than crap you don't care about? Why? Because you are going to be forced to view these targeted ads more than the current ones? That logic is just plain dumb.
"Product A" and "Product B" are identical in their nature - they're ads. You have the ability to choose to ignore both equally. Dude, I think you need to lay off the dope and rethink the concept of what you are and are not in control of.
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Re: Re: If it works
Since you are apparantly such a genius why don't you tell us WHY he is way off base instead of your superiority soapbox that lacks any relavant point.
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Of course its a privacy issue
Is this an invasion of privacy? Maybe the advertiser doesn't know you, but Google or some other provider sure as hell does.
Google may well in fact be a government front to collect more information on its citizens. Yeah, and you really believed that "do no evil" bull?
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All you have to do is lie
2) Set up your account to be a white male from marin county or manhatten and a household income of $150,000 or greater, and you get ads for "Rental Property in the hamptons" "Forbes top 10 gadgets you need" "Is platiunum the new silver?" and so on.
Click on all of them.
The System works.
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Is personalized advertising an invasion
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Re: If it works
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WWW
NoMorePoints.com
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Google knows what you search for, what your emails talk about, who you talk with etc. Course, that's only if you use Gmail.
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If you use a google account they follow all of it, similarto what yahoo has been doing for years, and now MS as well. None of them is a consumer advocate in my opinion. They just do whatever they can get away with. If they push too far they retract. Anyone rememebers google web accelerator?
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When they can develop a spell-check that can recognize that I spelled too when I meant to and correct it - that's when I'll really start worrying about privacy in this context.
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Sorry!
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Re: Is personalized advertising an invasion
Just for the record , to help people find (tech) dirt on me
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Most People Google Themselves Now — livescience.com
Jenna Wortham says: More than half of adult Americans are now searching their names on Google on a regular basis.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/what-were-reading-googling-yourself/?src=un&f eedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Ftechnology%2Findex.jsonp
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