The InformationWeek -- Blogs
Welcome Guest. | Log In| Register | Membership Benefits

Google

Topics:   Google

  • Email this page E-mail this page
  • Print this page Print this page
  • Bookmark and Share
  • icon

Ad Blocking. You Know...For Kids.


Posted by Thomas Claburn, Nov 2, 2007 01:48 PM

With the commencement on Thursday of a Federal Trade Commission Town Hall meeting, "Ehavioral Advertising: Tracking, Targeting, and Technology," The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG), two public interest advocacy groups, again asked the FTC to investigate and regulate online marketing.

The two groups filed a 74-page supplemental statement that expands upon a complaint filed last year with the FTC about online marketing. Among their more eyebrow-raising claims: Behavioral ad targeting contributes to childhood obesity and it helped bring on the subprime mortgage crisis.


This comes as a coalition of privacy groups are calling for a "Do Not Track List," similar in concept to the FTC's "Do Not Call List," to help consumers opt-out of behavioral ad targeting.

Well, I've got some good news for all the consumer advocacy groups pressing for more regulation. You can pack up and go home. Your job is done.

AdBlock Plus and Customize Google, two Firefox extensions, will put you on the "Do Not Show Me Ads List," which is even better to be on than the "Do Not Track" list.

And if you're really into not being tracked, you can set your browser not to accept cookies (or delete them) and use a proxy to surf the Net.

This is not to say that there isn't some substance to groups opposed to marketing excesses. Privacy issues should be a lot clearer to consumers and closer scrutiny of behavioral targeting is a good idea, within reason.

Of course, when consumers can't be bothered to think about such things, it's hard to blame marketers for pushing the envelope.

For those who do think about such things, the technical solutions already work a lot better than proposed policy solutions.

Ad blocking. Do it to keep our kids thin.

« Asus's Eee Has It All Over Wal-Mart's Linux PC | Main | Can Any OS Live Forever? »



Sign Up Now
For InformationWeek News Alerts




This is a public forum. United Business Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. United Business Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of United Business Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in United Business Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.




 
Sign Up For The Grok on Google Newsletter
Every Thursday, Tom Claburn and his fellow analysts offer all the news, insight, analysis, and strategic thinking you need to understand the company and complex phenomenon known as Google.

Sign up for our free, weekly newsletter today!

Newsletter Archives


  :: THE LATEST GOOGLE NEWS ::



 

  1. Here's to the First Responders!
  2. HPC Joins the Dummy Revolution?
  3. Detecting Scalability Problems With Intel Parallel Universe Portal


Join The InformationWeek Group On LinkedIn


                           


  1. Motorola Droid Is Gadget Of The Year
  2. Windows Mobile 7 Now A Q4 Release
  3. Nexus One Google Phone: Sorting Fact From Fiction
  4. Verizon Wireless Starts Updating The Motorola Droid
  5. 'Nexus One' Is Google's Android Phone For Consumers


  1. Strong Sales May Delay Apple iMacs
  2. EMC Adds VMware Support To Retrospect
  3. Toshiba Boosts Smartphone Storage
  4. SMS Privacy Case Heads To Supreme Court
  5. Microsoft Taps Into Open Government Market
  6. Full Nelson Video: Cisco's 'Health Presence' Showcase

 

  Ars Technica
Boing Boing
Channel 9 Forums
CRN Blogs
Dr.Dobb's Portal: Blogs
Engadget
Gizmodo
GrokLaw
  Lifehacker
Schneier on Security
Slashdot
TechCrunch
Techdirt
Techmeme
Valleywag

  DECEMBER 2008
NOVEMBER 2008
OCTOBER 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008
AUGUST 2008
JULY 2008
JUNE 2008
MAY 2008
  APRIL 2008
MARCH 2008
FEBRUARY 2008
JANUARY 2008
DECEMBER 2007
NOVEMBER 2007
OCTOBER 2007
SEPTEMBER 2007