Do-Not-Track Mechanism Proposed by the FTC Affects the Online Ad Industry
NEW YORK – ClickZ, Incisive Media’s resource for digital marketing news, information, commentary, advice, opinion and research, offered comments on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposal to establish a do-not-track mechanism. FTC’s proposal would give consumers more control over the advertising they see, but it would come at a cost.
ClickZ made that assessment in comments, based on reader input, to the FTC. While a do-not-track mechanism is intended to protect consumers from receiving behaviorally targeted advertising, ClickZ alerted federal regulators to other effects, including unintended consequences, the measure could have.
“ClickZ recognizes that the commission’s do-not-track proposal is the most significant regulatory initiative affecting the online ad industry ever to be introduced during its short life,” said Kate Kaye, ClickZ senior editor.
“For this reason, ClickZ’s editorial staff wanted to ensure our readers – comprised of the top digital marketing professionals in the U.S. – shared their thoughts about the implications of do-not-track on this burgeoning sector of the economy,” said Zachary Rodgers, ClickZ’s managing editor, news.
Other findings:
– A do-not-track mechanism, if adopted en masse, could reduce consumer access to free content, and could erode the quality and relevance of ads they see online.
– Do-not-track could hurt small and niche publishers. Website owners will likely resort to site demographic data and market research to target their ads. This requirement will tend to favor large publishers with research budgets and direct sales forces.
– Do-not-track could hurt innovation. The online ad sector is a fiercely competitive ecosystem where some of the world’s brightest technologists, working for well-funded startups, are building products that will define the future of marketing. The risk, should many consumers opt out, is that this innovation would simply migrate elsewhere.
– Do-not-track should not be an all-or-nothing proposition. Any mechanism should allow users to specify not only topics of interest, but also what data types can be collected, who may leverage that data, and how they are permitted to use it. The downside of this is greater user confusion than a simple on/off switch would create.
– Do-not-track, if implemented, should include ad tracking on mobile devices. The future of interactive content and services is mobile and any ad tracking rules should extend to handheld devices.
– Consumer participation may be minimal. It may be that consumers, given the choice will choose not to opt out of ad tracking for the above reasons, and because historically they have not done so.
ClickZ’s full response can be found at: http://www.clickz.com/digital_assets/2621/ClickZ-Privacy-Report-Feedback.pdf
About ClickZ
Incisive Media’s ClickZ is a unique resource for digital marketing news, information, commentary, advice, opinion and research. Other Incisive Media resources include SES, a leading global conference and training series focused on search engine marketing, and Search Engine Watch, which provides news and information about search, analysis of the search engine industry and tools for improving search marketing effectiveness.
Incisive Media is a leading global provider of specialized business news and information, in print, in person and online. The company’s principal markets include financial services, legal services, commercial real estate, marketing services and risk management. Incisive Media’s market-leading brands include Accountancy Age, Computing, Investment Week, Legal Week, Post, Risk, and SES Conferences and Expo. For more information, visit www.incisivemedia.com.
