The vast majority of online users are not aware of how companies are following their every move online. Tracking the sites the user visits and placing the user in specific categorys, allows companies to better target the user. Search engines, ad networks and internet service providers contain mass amount of users’ web browsing data. With no regulation on how the data can be handled is it time for government to step in and regulate? The debate has begun, should internet service providers be allowed to sell user info to advertisers. Large companies like AT&T, Time Warner, and Verizon are all pushing to stay with self-regulation and not be controlled by government. The ecommerce times reported “In August the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to 33 companies inquiring about their ad targeting practices. The committee also plans to introduce comprehensive privacy legislation, the Online Privacy Bill of Rights, in the upcoming congressional session.” This will all help better define how companies can track and use consumers’ online information.

In a perfect world users would be able to control their personal information and choose when to share and not to share information. For instance when one is on a music site, sharing my music preferences will only help target music that fits my music styles. Companies need to be more transparent by letting the user know what and how the information that is collected by a single user is used. If companies had these tactics in place it would significantly lessen the congressional control. Firewalls were self-regulated and it turned out not to work out so well. Firewalls were easily able to work around and did not control or protect as they were supposed to. This past June a court ruled that Google had to release all records of You Tube; including user names web addresses due to copy infringement. With no set rules in place, user data has an unsure future and with no rules in place your info could find itself in the hands of some many. Rules and restrictions set a foundation for online companies.

Drew Ammirati

Media Planner

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