Behavioral tracking and targeting provides targeted ads but raises privacy concerns. A study found the average website installed 64 tracking technologies without warning. While behavioral ads can increase revenues, many feel uncomfortable with their data being tracked and shared without consent. Laws aim to protect privacy but concerns remain about data security, secondary use and respecting consumers' right to privacy. Overall it is debated whether behavioral tracking should continue given the economic benefits versus privacy and ethical implications.

1. Behavioral
Tracking / Targeting
Yousef Husain

3. Definitions
Behavioral Targeting:
Advertisers and websites use information about where you
browse and what you search for online, to guess your interests
and decide what ads to show you.
Behavioral Tracking:
Consumers are unknowingly revealing
information to others and unwittingly
providing information that the consumer
may wish to remain private.

4. Background
( Wall Street Journal Study )
Each of the 50 most-popular
U.S. websites, installed on
average 64 pieces of tracking
technology onto the
computers of visitors, usually
with no warning.

5. Background
( Wall Street Journal Study )
Tracking technology is getting smarter and more
intrusive.
These profiles of individuals are constantly refreshed
then sold.
In between the Internet user and the advertiser, more
than 100 Middlemen competing to meet the Growing
demand for data on Individual behavior and interests.

6. Should it Continue or Stop?
• Provides relevant ads
• No privacy
• Provides free web
content • No Transparency
• Legal • No option

7. Should it Continue or Stop?
• Does it have Economic benefit ?
• Is it legal ?
- Privacy
• Is it ethical ?
- Privacy

8. Economic Benefit
(JupiterResearch Study)
Behavioral ads outperform
contextual ads by up to 22% in some
categories.
Audiences receptive to behavioral
ads are of higher value than those
who respond to contextual ads

9. Economic Benefit
(Network Advertising Initiative Study)
Behaviorally targeted ads
accounted for about 18% of total
ad revenue for the 2009 year
Behaviorally targeted ads earned
2.68 times more revenue than
'run of network' ads

10. Economic Benefit
Does Behavioral Tracking / Targeting have
Economic benefit ?

11. Is it legal ?
(Regulations Specified for BT)
In 2008, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed principles
that require:
- Transparency
- Consumer control
- Reasonable security
- Limited data retention
- Notifying about changes in privacy policies
- Notifying about using sensitive data
• “Do Not Truck” mechanism in 2010:
- permanent setting of computer browsers that offers their
users the choice or whether to allow the tracking of their online
activities or not

12. Is it legal ?
(Regulations Specified for BT)
Are Internet Service Providers (ISPs) following
FTC’s rules and regulations ?
- Since 2001, the Commission has brought 29
cases against companies that allegedly violated
posted privacy policies, did not dispose data
properly or allowed customer data to be shared
with unauthorized third parties.
- Google Chrome and Apple Safari browsers do
not follow “Do Not Truck” policy.

13. Is it legal?
(Privacy Regulations)
Electronic Communications Privacy Act 1986
- Enacted by the U.S. Congress to restrict wire taps.
- Covers any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images,
sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature
transmitted
- Amended by U.S. Patriot Act to include the FBI to
require ISP to disclose records

14. The Patriot Act
“If you have something that you don’t want anyone to
know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place. If you
really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines –
including Google – do retain this information for some time and it’s
important, for example, that we are all subject in the United States
to the Patriot Act and it is possible that all that information could
be made available to the authorities.”
Eric Schmidt
Google CEO

15. Is it Legal ?
Is it legal ?
Are ISPs following the rules ?

16. Is it Ethical ?
Research has found that a substantial percentage of
the population is to some degree concerned about
threats to privacy.
consumers are very concerned about:
- what companies know about them
- how companies obtain information
- what companies do with the information they collect

17. Is it Ethical ?
Definition of Privacy:
- a state or condition in which an individual has the ability to:
(1) control the release or subsequent dissemination of
information about him or herself
(2) regulate the amount and nature of social interaction
(3) exclude or isolate himself or herself from unwanted auditory

18. Is it Ethical ?
Privacy Concerns related to Behavioral Targeting:
(1) Collection
(2) Unauthorized secondary use
(3) Errors
(4) Improper access
(5) Invasion

19. Is it Ethical ?
A negative relationship between consumers' attitude
toward unauthorized use of secondary data and their
purchasing of products via the Internet
negative relationship between consumers' experience of
online invasion of privacy and their purchasing of products
via the Internet.
negative relationship between consumers' experience of
inaccuracy or manipulation of personal data and their
purchasing of products via the Internet.

20. Is it Ethical ?
Not Providing an Opt-in option indicates that
companies know that people won’t to be tracked and
won’t get any value.
A six in ten majority (59 percent) are not comfortable
when Web sites like Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft
(MSN) use information about a person’s online
activity to tailor advertisements or content based on
a person’s hobbies or interests.

21. Is it Ethical ?
The date collected is unsecured and can be leaked:
- AOL Data Leak
- Sony PlayStation Data Leak
- Skype Android Data Leak
- Epsilon Data Leak

22. Is it Ethical ?
Is Behavioral Tracking / Targeting Ethical ?
Does it respect consumer’s right of privacy ?

23. Conclusion
Does Behavioral Tracking / Targeting have
Economic benefit ?
Are ISPs following the rules ?
Is Behavioral Tracking / Targeting Ethical ?

24. Conclusion
Companies should be:
- more responsible
- Make ethical regarding consumers’ privacy
• Government Should:
- Provide stronger monitoring and controlling laws over
behavioral targeting / tracking