'Don't track web users'
2007-11-01 07:28
Washington - Nine US privacy and consumer organisations asked the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday to create a "do not track" list for internet users who don't want their online activities tracked, stored and used by advertising networks.
Such a list would function much like the FTC's "do not
call" registry that consumers can join to prevent telemarketing
phone calls, according to the groups, which include the Centre
for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation
and the Consumer Federation of America.
Internet advertising companies and marketers increasingly
are collecting information about individuals' web activities
and preferences so as to tailor their advertising messages.
In recent months, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft have
all struck deals to acquire online advertising companies.
Executives from the three companies and other internet
firms are scheduled to address an FTC public meeting on
behavioural advertising practices on Thursday and Friday.
The "do not track" list would require advertisers that
place electronic cookies or tags on consumers' computers to
register with the FTC all domain names of the servers involved
in such activities, according to the groups.
"Online opt-outs should be as well-known and as easy as the
Do Not Call list," said Mark Cooper, research director of
Consumer Federation of America.
The proposal would also prohibit advertisers from
collecting and using personally identifiable information about
health and financial activities and would require independent
auditing of companies using behavioural tracking to ensure they
upheld privacy standards.
A day ahead of the FTC hearing, AOL, Time Warner Inc's
internet division, said it would let its users opt out of
online ads they get because of the websites they visited.
The FTC's "do not call" registry was created in 2003 to
restrict the hours that unsolicited telephone calls may be made
to consumers. Consumers voluntarily register their telephone
numbers by calling a toll-free number or by using the internet.
The registry now contains 145 million telephone numbers.