The Federal Trade Commission held a conference on Monday, December 7, 2009, on technology and privacy, where companies like Google, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, et al, were invited to hash out what needs to be changed in regards to online privacy. Consumer advocate groups argue that people are unwilling to give up their privacy in exchange for Internet "freebies" (which is a shift from the early days of the Internet). They argue that a strong majority of people do not understand what the privacy policies are when it comes to online advertising.
"Opt-ing Out" of privacy policies seems to be the current solution for consumers when it comes to online behavioral advertising. However, if consumer advocates are so concerned about privacy, then maybe they should be framing the discussion around "Opt-ing In". This paradigm shift comes with the presumption that the consumer values their privacy, and therefore, they would want to "opt in" to allowing their private information/search habits to be monitored by online media. The word "privacy" does not appear in the U.S. Constitution (it is interpreted via the 4th Amendment). Additionally, is "privacy" limited only to protecting citizens from governmental invasions of privacy? Does it apply to private enterprise? In a world of Facebook, Twitter, GoogleWave, etc., and with a generation of people who love to place themselves all over the Internet, is consumer privacy that big of an issue?
To read more about this article, please click here: At FTC Conference, Concerns about Advertising and Privacy