Everyday millions Internet users make purchases online. Most people do not realize the dangers lurking behind recommendations that websites make based on your purchases. In theory it seems like a great idea...I purchased the latest Stephen King book and here is a list of other books I may like based on my previous purchase. What's not to like about that? That is great customer service...or is it? A recent article published by the Wharton School of Business shows the underlying dangers of behavioral targeting.
The article starts off by turning the tables...what if you buy your favorite movie and then see recommendations for other movies you may like? That is something we all appreciate. But what if the next time you visit the site you see an ad that has nothing to do with your movie choices? Instead the advertisement is for debt consolidation or treatment for a medical problem...this is what the article describes as the "creepiness factor," the private part of your life that is somehow not private anymore.
The way the creepiness factor comes from marketing companies tracking your surfing habits and building up a profile about you based on the sites you visit, e-mails you write, etc.... The companies argue that focusing advertisements based on your needs is beneficial to you as a consumer, and that the trade-off between better advertisements and your personal privacy and Internet anonymity is worth it. I disagree...and so do most people. A recent research study, presented in the article, showed that 91% of adult Internet users would use some sort of tool to surf anonymously and avoid having their information tracked and stored.
The article continues to discuss how technology has evolved over the years, but the policy for protecting us while using the Internet has not. There is no barrier. Any law that is intended to help us has a loophole. For example, the government can't collect certain information from us without a warrant, so they buy it from a company's marketing department that collects the information legally without us knowing it.
I would like to know when my information is being stored in some database and how it will be used by the company. Protecting your privacy needs to be proactive. The use of proxy servers and other privacy tools can help hide your IP address and keep you from having your identity stolen.
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