Filed under: Dr. Boyce Money, News
Recent legislative proposals allowing consumers to opt out of being tracked by companies that do business on the Internet have put attention back on a massive industry that has grown right under our noses. Companies have quietly developed a slew of technological advances that allow them to follow you throughout the Internet to see what sites you visit, how often you browse and even "leak" information from social networking sites like Facebook.com.
The Federal Trade Commission has been receiving complaints from consumers who say that their privacy is being violated by companies that follow them around on the web. The FTC is currently asking for a "Do Not Track" option for all consumers that will make it illegal for firms to snoop on their activities.
The online advertising industry generates roughly $300 billion in U.S. economic activity, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Internet advertising companies spend an estimated $25.8 billion each year to sell products to you on the web. Additionally, companies that are paid to track you on the Internet are everywhere. Another study by the IAB found that 80% of online advertisements use "behavioral targeting" technology.
Tracking cookies are the most popular way that companies follow you through the web. Cookies are downloaded to your browser, allowing the company that owns the Web page to keep up with the number of times you visit the site, along with the length of your stay. Companies can also get a "fingerprint" on you, which consists of the specific way in which your browser is structured (fonts, plug-ins, etc.).
Some of the reasons that consumer advocates are worried about companies getting access to private information is that the data leakages can affect us in a multitude of ways. For example, a company may be able to decide if it wants to offer insurance coverage to you based on how the company's computers analyze your Internet activity. Also, the data may be used by companies to decide if they want to hire you.
Keeping your Internet fingerprint clean may be an important part of your personal and professional strategy. At the very least, we should all be aware of cases in which our civil liberties might be affected. The FTC has a tough job of regulating the Internet, and the truth is that they will probably never figure it out completely. It's better to take your own steps to protect yourself.
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Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
