http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html
Pretty serious about privacy. |
Haven't look into the details but then they just can just track you via the cookie that identify you/your browser as being "opted-out". You can only hope that they keep their words I suppose. |
Weird how Yahoo! also announced this almost simultaneously...coincidence? I doubt it... why would they both choose to offer this all of a sudden, its strange i think
http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/opt_out/targeting/details.html
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Probably because Yahoo! display Google ads. http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/20080612_yahoo.html |
I think this was done now because of recent US Congressional investigations into online tracking and advertising. A company called NebuAd testified to the US Congress about the way its tracking consumers online with the help of ISPs. The US Congress didn't like that idea to much from what I read and I think that's why Google and Yahoo both announced ways of opting out of targeted advertisements AKA user tracking.
I couldn't find a more in depth article about NebuAd and congress but here's a little short snippet. http://www.wirelessweek.com/Congress-Online-Advertising-Opt-In-Models.aspx
I think Google and Yahoo wanted to make the move voluntarily rather than be forced by a future law.
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