Press Play: You May Now Protect Your Privacy

Do you browse the internet a lot? Can you remember all the websites you ever visited?  Ever registered for anything online?  Do you have a Facebook or LinkedIn profile?  Did you fill out the information about yourself on them?  "What's with all the questions?" you may ask. Well everything you do online is tracked, shared and saved by advertisers to directly target you whenever you take to the internet to do whatever you like?  It's called  online behavioral advertising.


Online behavioral advertising is when marketers use static consumer data (such as demographic and socioeconomic information), as well as behavioral data (such as mouse clicks and purchases) in order to target the right kind of advertisement to a particular person. The major benefit is that consumers get more ads that are interesting to them. The major downside is that some consumers feel that their privacy is violated.

Advertising Option Icon

(Superhero music plays in the background):  Well fear no more, your privacy can be protected, if you just press play.  This play button looking icon is known as the "Advertising Option Icon."  Once placed near the data collection portion of the website, the icon serves as  way for participating companies to inform consumers about their data collecting practices and give consumers the option to opt-out of their targeting.  But here's the catch, consumers have to willingly click on the icon that takes them to another page where they can read and learn about behavioral advertising and the opt-out choices they have. 


I don't believe consumers will have any idea as to what the icon means.  They might be curious to press play thinking it's a way to listen listen to music while browsing, but when taken to another page and faced with a ton of information to read they'll more than likely close the page.  This kind of thing is not totally new, their ability to opt-in or opt-out of things on our cellphones as well and consumers still don't use it. We just can't be bothered sometimes. 


Of course most companies will sign-up knowing, in the back of their minds, that the average consumer won't care about such an icon being displayed.  It will be the new "industry thing to do."   As for this new standard being monitored by the sponsoring agencies for compliance I doubt they'll be to able to effectively police a large amount of companies.  Let's not even mention how savvy some companies are, I'm sure someone will find a way to bypass or manipulate the system. 

Sponsoring Agencies (Participating Associations)

For companies, the advertising option icon will be a big seal of approval to continue doing what they already do - collect consumers data (invade privacy).  For consumers the advertising option icon will be another crash and burn.  As consumers we would appreciate that companies leave us alone unless we seek and knowingly authorize them to make an offer that we can't refuse. 


Referenced Websites:
"E-Marketing for Sensible Folks" http://e-marketingforsensiblefolk.blogspot.com/2010/10/would-you-click-this-icon-to-protect.html 
"Self Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising"  http://www.aboutads.info/

Somebody's Watching Me

Have you heard about Internet Eyes? A UK firm, Internet Eyes, will let you play crime-fighter from home via your internet connection, and reward you for it.  According to Internet Eyes, the sole purpose is to enable responsible members of the public to use the latest technology to help shopkeepers and the police combat the serious social harm that shoplifting causes.  Viewers will monitor live camera feeds and instantly alert you when a suspected crime is committed. 


Now, being watched by security and security cameras in stores isn't new, but being watched on the caliber that Internet Eyes purposes is beyond an invasion of privacy.  It's simply creepy.  Whenever I go shopping, I go to get away from it all.  It's my time to chill and do something good for me. The thought of security cameras and personnel watching me is the last thing on my mind.  But if Internet Eyes becomes legal worldwide I believe the joy and peace of mind that shopping brings would be ruined.


Beyond Internet Eyes being an obvious invasion of privacy, I believe that I would be attacked and targeted based on the color of my skin.  Racial prejudice, racial profiling and stereotyping will be at an all-time high.   According to ABCNews,   racial profiling in stores is so prevalent that researchers have even given it a name -- Shopping While Black. When it happens, black shoppers are made to feel both unwelcome and under suspicion. This social experiment by ABC gives perfect insight:  Shopping While Black - Social Experiment


In a 2007 Gallup survey, 47 percent of black people surveyed said they are not treated equally by retailers. More than one-quarter of those surveyed felt they were targeted because of their race while shopping in the last 30 days.  I can only imagine this number rising with the implementation of Internet Eyes.   The lyrics to the 1984 Rockwell single "Somebody's Watching Me" becomes relevant again. 

I'm just an average man

With an average life

I work from nine to five

Hey, hell, I pay the price

All I want is to be left alone

In my average home

But why do I always feel

Like I'm in the twilight zone

And (I always feel like)

(Somebody's watching me)

And I have no privacy 

- Rockwell "Somebody's Watching Me" (1984)

Referenced Websites 


Internet Eyes, CCTV Monitoring
http://interneteyes.co.uk/

Rockwell Lyrics - Somebody's Watching Me 

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/rockwell/somebodys_watching_me.html

'Shopping While Black': Would You Stop Racism 
http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/story?id=7131333&page=1