Mar 21 2009
News Round-up — Week Ending March 21, 2009
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- As online, targeted advertising becomes more and more common, the question of balancing privacy concerns and commercial demands is becoming increasingly more complex. While website privacy policies can disclose how information provided to the site’s publisher may be used, they can’t explain how and why you are being shown a specific advertisement when you visit the site. Joseph Turow, a marketing professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, has developed an approach to provide consumers with more information and control over how they view ads. Mr. Turow’s plan: place an icon on each ad that signifies that the ad collects or uses information about users. Clicking on the icon will bring you to what Mr. Turow calls a “privacy dashboard” that will show you exactly what information was used to choose that ad for you and provide an opportunity to edit the information or opt out of ad targeting.
- A broad array of ad organizations is asking the Federal Trade Commission to delay implementing new guidelines on testimonials. One of the proposed changes under consideration would require bloggers, online commentators and others to disclose connection they have to marketers. In the joint letter to the FTC, the ad organizations, including the American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Advertising Federation and others, say the proposed regulations would result in uncertainty and increased costs for marketers. Some on Madison Avenue are also concerned they might be held liable for bloggers’ failure to disclose ties to marketers.
- While it may not be surprising to hear that purchases of CDs dwindling rapidly – 17 million fewer in 2008 compared to 2007 according to NDP – and that the number of purchase music downloads increased by 29 percent last year, it may be to learn that the number of people buying music is falling at a considerable pace. According to research from the NPD group, the number of total music buyers fell by 13 million in the US last year.
- Did you ever wonder what happens to your data after it has been stolen? A U.K. Web security firm found information about several hundred thousand individuals on a botnet server in the Ukraine. It has since been shut down and the authorities notified, but it goes to show how data from several sources can be fused together indiscriminately and used for criminal intent.
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