Americans object to online tracking

It's become routine and almost an imperative for businesses and marketers to engage in online tracking of customers to their websites, but the public is not happy about this practice. A survey by professors from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California at Berkeley found that about two-thirds of Americans object to online tracking by advertisers.

The survey, reported by the New York Times, took the pulse of 1,000 adult Internet users, and found that tailored ads did not appeal to 66 percent of respondents. The respondents were told how companies follow what someone does on their site, on other sites and in offline places like stores. The aversion to tailored ads increased substantially when they learned the full extent of the tracking.

Privacy advocates have complained that the online tracking has gotten out of control, and believe the practice has the potential for serious abuse. They have been lobbying Congress and the Federal Trade Commission to institute rules and restrictions, and the survey may fuel this effort by showing a high degree of public concern.

Marketers maintain that the advertising supports free online content, and a number of trade associations are looking for ways to head off regulation. One proposal calls for giving clear notice to consumers when they were being tracked.

To read more about Big Brother online:
-see this New York Times article

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