Pause for Behavioural Advertising
An article in the New York Times presents recent survey findings on respondents’ views on behavioral advertising over the Internet. The result was a growing number of people feel their privacy is threatened. In fact, over 75 per cent of respondents agreed that “The Internet is not well regulated, and naïve users can easily be taken advantage of”.
Many sites have made steps toward enhancing consumer privacy. Yahoo has included a link in certain ads explaining how the user’s browsing history determined the ad being displayed. Google also has its own behavioural advertising system in the works with plans to disclose the information gathered from its users.
While this issue is being taken more seriously, it is yet to be seen how effective these new transparency tactics will be. The article reveals that a mere 15 per cent of users read privacy statements and less than 50 per cent check if privacy statements are available at all.
What Made Me Pause?
Behavioural advertising is here to stay. This means that people need to start taking individual accountability when surfing the net. While regulations might help ensure consumer protection, ultimately, it is up to individuals to make responsible choices when disclosing personal information. We keep our PIN number a secret, even though the bank ultimately protects us from fraud. We lock our doors at night, even though we know our alarm will warn us of intruders. Yet, we are willing to hand over so much personal information via the Internet without a second thought. People who are ordinarily sensible lose their judgement when it comes to online activity. Even if regulations are imposed to ensure proper disclosure, will any of us actually acknowledge it? Or will users just perform the ceremonial scroll down until the “I agree” tab appears so we can click and move on? The fact is that if we don’t take our vulnerability in cyberspace seriously, there is no sense in imposing law that will go unnoticed. The terms of marketing and advertising have changed along with the way we listen to music or get our news. So, as consumers, we must inform ourselves so we can be equipped to participate in a fair and balanced marketplace.
Isabella
