Are They Tracking You?

Do consumers really care about their online privacy? When asked, of course they answer "yes," but do they truly understand what this violation is used for and how it affects their experience when browsing the internet? This issue seems to be ahead of the consumer outcry but not for long because privacy advocates are bringing this matter to the attention of consumers due to the lack of awareness and knowledge.

The FTC will hold a 2 day workshop that will inform all whom attend on the severity of this issue. The focus of this workshop will be on behavioral targeting, which is a tactic where ad sellers segment consumers in to categories based on their search criteria over many websites. For example, when someone does a search for vacation destinations, this person may be tagged as such and flashed an ad for Expedia's "Cheap air fare" when reading his/her daily horoscope.

When consumers finally understand how tracking and behavioral targeting are "invading" their privacy this issue will either blow up or blow over. That is when it will be decided if it is a positive maneuver that is fundamental for creating quality digital content or if it is purely an unacceptable invasion of privacy.