Opt Out of Google Behavior Based Advertising
Google is launching a behavioral advertising program, which they call “Internet-based” and others call “interest-based.” The most powerful Internet ad company is expanding its data collection and targeting activities on their users.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m doing an online search for clothing, I don’t want Google to check its secret database file on me and decide to only show me ads for the online clothing stores I visited earlier (what happened to freedom of choice?) or lawnmowers because that’s what I was searching for yesterday.
I want to at least pretend I have some online privacy…this rips that notion right away.
Fortunately, you can opt out of what is currently a beta program. However, the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), a privacy advocacy group, will call on Google to allow users to opt in to behavioral tracking instead of requiring that they opt out.
They have pointed out that
…Google chose a flawed way of honoring opt-out requests — by putting a cookie on users’ machines…Many users and spyware software programs frequently delete cookies…although Google has offered a browser plug-in that will prevent the Google opt-out cookie from being deleted.
Except those of us who care about our privacy delete cookies on a regular basis, which means the Google opt-out cookie would be flushed out along with all the others unless we install the Google Advertising Cookie Opt-Out Plugin that prevents this from happening. It works for IE and Firefox, and if you use both you must download it within each browser. If you use another browser, you’re out of luck.
My preference is to use a program that protect my HOSTS file from hijackers. There are several out there to choose from; I use Spybot Search & Destroy, which is free for personal use and blocks changes to the HOSTS file on my computer.
Protecting online privacy is an ongoing battle. You have to decide where you draw the line, and take steps to ensure that line isn’t crossed. It isn’t always easy.
Tags: behavior based advertising, google, online privacy
Great post — the example of shopping habits is chilling.
What’s worse is that there are dozens of companies that use cookies to track behavior. I did some research and put together a single-click opt out process that I’m maintaining here:
http://www.privacychoice.net
Would love your thoughts (and clicks), particularly: how do you create a community around privacy choices?
google toolbar is also google to collect user’s information.
but, it is effective? i don’t think so
hi Kay,
I AGREE! This reminds me of the supermarkets that make you join their “club” to get the sale prices, and then keep a database of what you purchase. So long privacy! Arghhh…. ~ Steve, the that’s-none-of-your-business trade show guru
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I understand that Google is trying to provide the best search results for people but this goes a little to far. And you are right about protecting online privacy is an ongoing battle and you have to draw the line and ensure it’s not crossed. In my mind it seems like this crosses the line.
Probably they should change it to, if you visit the store for X times, then they will show you the ads of the stores, this might be fairer for the websites as will as user’s privacy.
Its going to make targeting pages for seo traffic more difficult to make money from. If you spend a long time optimising your site for a key phrase, and get good traffic, its not going to be very effective to show irrelevant adverts on a page that have no relevance to the page content.
It is really effective. Google toolbar is also a good tool.
@ Khaled-Van leasing
but it would hav relevance from the current user perspective. u cant deny that
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nice tool