Privacy advocates push back against Google-led effort to kill online advertising rules
Posted on | September 1, 2009 | add a comment
Do you believe tracking people’s every move online should be considered an invasion of privacy?
Or that Google might someday use online behavioral profiling to help target ads for predatory loans to consumers who can least afford it?
That’s the stance ten top consumer and privacy advocacy groups are taking as they rallied round today and called on Congress to back the Federal Trade Commission’s move toward more aggressive policing of online advertising marketing practices.
A package of documents topped by this letter to Representatives Henry Waxman and Joe Barton, chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, is the first major consensus statement by leading consumer and privacy groups pushing back against a lobbying blitz, led by Google, to kill any new rules.
Polarized debate
This is what’s known as a polarized debate, folks.
Google and other influential members of the Interactive Advertising Bureau prefer complete deregulation – and free reign to monitor your Web surfing habits, the better to target you to receive online advertising you might be interested in.
Consumer and privacy advocates want European-style opt-in rules, where the consumer must explicitly give permission to be targeted for ads. And they want strict limitations on how Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and others can collect sensitive personal data.
Their rationale is laid out in this 13 page paper, part of the package delivered today to Congress.
Any rules restricting the collection and storage of sensitive data, of course, would reduce the pool of data available for cyber criminals to pilfer.
Human dignity at stake
“Consumers must have their privacy protected as they conduct business and personal matters online,” insists Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “Ensuring that our financial, health, and household transactions have adequate safeguards must be a top Congressional priority.”
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group wants “clear rules will help consumers understand how their information is used, obtained and tracked,” says spokesperson Amina Fazlullah.
Susan Grant, director of Consumer Protection at Consumer Federation of America, says it boils down to “respect for human dignity.” Online behavioral tracking, she warns, can be used to “target vulnerable consumers for high-price loans, bogus health cures and other potentially harmful products and services.”
After congressional hearings were held this summer Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) indicated that the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet will consider consumer privacy legislation this fall.
“Technological advances have made it far too easy to surreptitiously track individuals online,” said Melissa Ngo of Privacy Lives. “Congress needs to step in and enact legislation that will protect consumer privacy rights no matter what technology is used to collect their data.”
Photo of Jeff Chester
By Byron Acohido
