These are called 'Ads Preferences' by Google. You can edit them to specify your interests and you can opt out if you do not want your web surfing behaviour tracked and categorised. Microsoft has already put in place its own consumer behaviour profiling based on Hotmail user browsing patterns. While Google and Microsoft have been relatively open about their bhavioural targeting, less ethical operators install cookies on your computer (spyware) that also track your browsing and use that informaton to deliver targeted ads and emails to you.
There are significant privacy concerns and ethical issues!
Ars Technica: Microsoft behavioral advertising technology goes global
Google Ads Preferences: Make the ads you see on the web more interesting
Google Blog: Making Ads More Interesting
Opt Out Options from PC World:
Google's ad system has its own opt-out page here
Yahoo's targeting program lets you say "no thanks"here
Q1. Is this a privacy issue that can produce a consumer backlash?
Q2. What are the ethical issues in relation to marketing?
Q3. Is 'behavioural targeting' an effective marketing strategy?
1 comment:
There are many potential legal problems with regards to privacy. If someone researches a topic often in their personal time, then ads relating to that topic appear while other people are around or using the computer they could be embarresed and move away from google. Also if google matches personal info with search results (or someone hacks it) that would be a huge invasion of privacy.
That said if both sets of information are securely seperated I believe it will be a valuable resource in making ads more relevant to users and increasing the click rate for businesses. This will also be a useful tool for marketers in that people who aren't necessarily looking for your product/subject at the time can be targeted if they show an interest in it allowing more opportunities to advertise to that person.
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