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Behavioral Targeting/Consumer Privacy
      
Date Article Title Publication Author Synopsis
1/23/2012 Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Pledge to Work Together to Protect Consumers Federal Trade Commission Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have signed an agreement to work together to protect consumers in an effort to eliminate duplication of efforts. 
1/19/2012 For Online Privacy, Click Here New York Times Tanzina Vega The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) unveiled a campaign designed to raise awareness about targeted advertising.
1/14/2012 Tech firms' privacy measures may get FTC scrutiny San Francisco Chronicle Casey Newton After last year's settlements with Google, Facebook and Twitter, in 2012 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is expected to expand its probe into online consumer privacy--with a focus on mobile products and services.
1/13/2012 Privacy expert adds "Do Not Track" to Google Chrome PC Pro Stewart Mitchell Privacy expert Jonathan Mayer of Stanford University has released a do-not-track extension for Google's Chrome browser allowing users to opt out of tracking by targeted advertising companies.
1/10/2012 Privacy rights activists worry about potential abuse of high-tech devices featured at CES event Washington Post Cecilia Kang Jules Polonetsky discusses the privacy challenges that come with the new breed of "smart" devices and appliances. 
12/12/2011 Opposing view: Better ways to protect consumer privacy USA Today Daniel Castro Daniel Castro, senior analyst with the think-tank Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, says that proposed do-not-track regulation represents a "net loss for consumers." 
11/1/2011 Google Aims to Answer the ‘Why?’ Behind Ad Targeting Wall Street Journal Tom Loftus Google has released a new feature to explain why Google search and Gmail users have been targeted by advertisements and allow them to opt out of such ads from future search page results.
10/28/2011 Rockefeller Asks Credit Card Companies About Behavioral Targeting Plans Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is questioning two credit card companies on reports that the companies plan to combine information on consumer purchases and online activity to better serve targeted ads.
10/25/2011 Using Credit Cards to Target Web Ads Wall Street Journal Emily Steel A report on plans by the world's two largest credit card networks to move into the online behavioral advertising business. 
10/19/2011 Privacy organizations file FTC complaint against PepsiCo Direct Marketing News Juan Martinez A group of privacy and consumer advocates has filed a joint complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging PepsiCo and its subsidiary Frito-Lay North America exercised unfair and deceptive practices during a recent digital marketing campaign aimed at teenagers.
10/17/2011 Mobile Marketing Assn. Issues App Privacy Guidelines Online Media Daily Mark Walsh The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has released privacy guidelines to provide app developers with a set of best practices for creating and maintaining privacy policies.
10/13/2011 Verizon tweaks privacy policy for ad targeting based on physical address ZDNet Larry Dignan Verizon is altering its privacy policy to allow advertisers to target customers based on their physical address.
10/7/2011 Congressional Privacy Hawks Target Verizon Ad Program ClickZ Kate Kaye Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Joe Barton (R-TX) have sent a letter to the heads of Verizon and Verizon Wireless asking them to clarify how users' personal information will be disclosed to third parties in its new geotargeting ad campaign.
10/6/2011 Important Information Regarding the Right of Borders Customers to Opt Out of Transfer of Personal Information to Barnes and Noble Federal Trade Commission Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission is reminding Borders Group customers that they have until October 15 to decide what they want done with their personal information. 
9/9/2011 W3C announces web-tracking privacy protection group The Register Kelly Fiveash The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recently announced its Tracking Protection Working Group.
9/9/2011 Web Paths Are Personal Data Says Consumer Group PC World Jennifer Baker In a letter to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Europe's Article 29 Working Party, an international consumer group has asked that both regulatory bodies not accept the self-regulation of online behavioral advertising.
9/1/2011 Ad industry's do-not-track plan blasted by consumer groups USA Today Byron Acohido Advocacy groups are going on the record against an online advertising industry do-not-track mechanism. 
8/23/2011 Privacy Advocates Ask FTC To Condemn New Tracking Methods Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Digital rights advocates are asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to draft recommendations for the use of online tracking technologies in its revised advertising guidelines. 
8/22/2011 FTC commissioner calls for new 'do not track' approach Cnet News Declan McCullagh FTC Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch said the agency should investigate online advertisers prior to regulating how companies collect users' information.
8/19/2011 Apple Shuns Tracking Tool Wall Street Journal Yukari Iwatani Kane Software developers who build programs for Apple's operating system have been asked by the company to avoid using unique device identifiers (UDID) in software for its iPhones and iPads.
8/16/2011 NARC To Start Enforcing Privacy Principles Daily Online Examiner Wendy Davis The Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Review Council (NARC) is going to enforce privacy principles for online behavioral targeting.
8/11/2011 Site Offers Prizes to Users, Providing Useful Data to Advertisers New York Times Andrew Adam Newman Since the new website Loffles was launched on June 27, more than 3,400 users have registered to watch video ads with the chance to win prizes of their choosing.
8/3/2011 Web tracking has become a privacy time bomb USA Today Byron Acohido A report on the rise in online tracking for behavioral advertising and the subsequent challenges tracking poses to personal privacy. 
7/21/2011 Groupon Should Make Privacy Promises, Reps. Markey, Barton Say Bloomberg Juliann Francis In light of reports that Groupon will expand its data sharing practices, Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Ed Markey (D-MA) have written a letter to the company's chief executive officer asking how it will protect its customers' data. 
7/19/2011 FTC Chief Says Consumers Should Control Their Data on Social Networks AdAge Digital Edmund Lee When it comes to social networks, the debate over who owns user profiles continues, says David Vladeck, head of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. 
7/14/2011 Lawmakers push for children’s online privacy law Washington Post Cecilia Kang Amidst proposals for do-not-track legislation and a recent study showing that some online companies are not complying with self-regulatory standards, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) suggests that focusing on children's privacy may be the way forward.
7/11/2011 Online Consumers Willing to Pay Premium for Net Privacy ScienceBlog   A new study has found that consumers are willing to pay more for purchases from online vendors "with clear, protective privacy policies." 
6/8/2011 IPv6 To Profile Behavior Behavioral Insider Laurie Sullivan Hundreds of companies have began testing the next-generation Internet address protocol--Ipv6. 
4/23/2011 Show Us the Data. (It’s Ours, After All.) New York Times Richard Thaler Consumers should be given the right to access and use their own data.
4/20/2011 Unlisted number fee a 'privacy penalty' MSNBC Bob Sullivan MSNBC explores the question of whether consumers are willing to pay to protect their privacy in a feature that looks at one consumer's $1,000 bill to keep his phone number unlisted month after month, year after year. 
4/13/2011 Plan to enpower consumers via data free-for-all This Is Money Tara Evans The government has unveiled a plan to give consumers better access to data companies hold on them.
4/4/2011 Birth Of The Privacy Tax Forbes Adam Thierer Web surfers could soon be paying a "privacy tax" on Internet sites and for online services due to the heat advocates are putting on congress and the Obama Administration for increased regulation of online advertising.
3/21/2011 Device Fingerprinting Raises Privacy Fears ClickZ Jack Marshall Device fingerprinting technology now allows advertisers to specifically identify connected devices such as computers and smart phones. 
3/8/2011 Online Privacy: Would you sell your private information to advertisers? Wall Street Journal Gina Cervetti As part of its "What They Know" series on online tracking, The Wall Street Journal is asking readers to weigh in on the question of whether they view their personal information as a commodity worth selling to advertisers. 
3/7/2011 TV's Next Wave: Tuning In to You Wall Street Journal Jessica E. Vascellaro As cable and satellite providers test systems to target ads to specific households, data gatherers are compiling information on what viewers are watching with such personal data as prescription records to "emulate the sophisticated tracking widely used on people's personal computers with new technology that reaches the living room." 
3/7/2011 FTC urges ad industry: Take lead in online privacy issues American Statesman Brian Gaar FTC consumer protection bureau chief David Vladeck urged advertisers to adopt a do-not-track mechanism.
3/4/2011 Council to Enforce Online Tracking Principles Wall Street Journal Emily Steel The Council of Better Business Bureaus plans to announce it will start enforcing its program to make online tracking more transparent and give consumers an easy way to opt out.
3/2/2011 Device Fingerprinting Could Be Cookie Killer ClickZ Jack Marshall Several startups are experimenting with tracking technologies that could supplant cookies as behavioral targeting mechanisms.
2/28/2011 IAB Members Must Publicly Affirm Privacy Principles Online Media Daily Wendy Davis In the midst of looming online tracking legislation, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has voted to require all its members to sign a new code of conduct that includes compliance with the industry's self-regulatory principles.
2/25/2011 PubMatic: Consumers Confused About Online Tracking Online Media Daily Laurie Sullivan A report on a PubMatic study that asked about 500 Internet users how they feel about advertisers tracking their online activities. 
2/21/2011 Privacy By Design: Best Practices For A TV Industry In Transition Media Post Mark Lieberman Examining the possibility that the scrutiny of online advertising by federal regulators could potentially extend to the elevision medium. 
1/19/2011 Ads In Bank Statements: Latest Targeting Controversy  Marketing Daily Karlene Lukovitz A controversy is brewing over behavioral ads for big-name companies showing up in online bank statements as coming with "less-than-ideal timing for the advertising industry, to put it mildly." 
1/18/2011 ANA Urges Self-Regulation On Online Behavioral Ads  Marketing Daily Karl Greenberg The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) is urging its 400 member companies to get behind the self-regulatory online behavioral advertising (OBA) program developed in line with the FTC's 2009 call for such an initiative. 
1/17/2011 Banks allow ads in online checking accounts Washington Post Ylan Q. Mui A report explores online banking as the "latest frontier" for behavioral targeting, exploring a new practice by financial institutions to match ads to their customers' most recent debit card purchases. 
1/17/2011 Online behavioral ads continue to feel the heat BtoB Magazine Christopher Hosford A report on questions of how online marketing will be affected if federal regulations come into place for behavioral targeting. 
1/3/2011 Online Privacy: What to Expect in 2011 ClickZ Kate Kaye A look back at what 2010 meant for privacy and how that may change in 2011 as government and industry each work to resolve concerns surrounding online advertising. 
12/22/2010 FTC’s New Code-Cracker Says Web Marketers Don’t Need Tracking Bloomberg Sara Forden When it comes to online marketing, Internet companies may be able to get more information about customers voluntarily than by using Web tracking, according to incoming FTC Chief Technology Officer Edward Felten. 
12/22/2010 Most Internet Users Willing to Pay for Privacy The Atlantic Daniel Indiviglio A new Gallup poll has found that two-thirds of Americans do not want to receive targeted ads based on their Web surfing habits.
12/20/2010 Targeted TV Ads Set for Takeoff Wall Street Journal Suzanne Vranica As the FTC, Department of Commerce and European regulators continue to scrutinize behavioral targeting on the Web, DirecTV has plans to introduce targeted ads to its 1.9 million television subscribers in the coming year.
11/6/2010 Tag-Along Marketing New York Times Joshua Brustein The location-based services industry has had no problem finding investors. 
11/2/2010 Companies team to push RFID into apparel supply chains RFID News   Trade associations and technology companies have come together to develop guidelines and standards to support the push for RFID technology across the apparel supply chain.
10/24/2010 RapLeaf’s Founder on Privacy, Business Wall Street Journal Courtney Banks Internet tracking company RapLeaf has been getting quite a bit of attention in recent days following an investigation into social networks sharing user data with advertisers. 
10/22/2010 Marketers Can Glean Private Data on Facebook New York Times Miguel Helft   Two recent academic papers focusing on targeted advertising found that ads can expose "sensitive profile information, like a person's sexual orientation or religion, even if the person is sharing that information only with a small circle of friends." 
10/22/2010 Rapleaf is selling your identity CNN David Goldman A report on companies that know your name, age, hometown, e-mail address, income and social networking practices and sell that information to advertisers. 
10/20/2010 FTC To Recommend Self-Regulation, Not New Laws, Says Commission Member Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member Julie Brill confirmed that the FTC's soon-to-be-released report about behavioral advertising will not recommend the enactment of new laws.
10/11/2010 Lawmakers Blast Legalese-Ridden Privacy Policies Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Two members of the Congressional Privacy Caucus have reiterated concerns that companies might not be adequately informing consumers about their information practices.
10/5/2010 Smart Cookies Put Targeted Online Ads On The Rise National Public Radio Laura Sydell A report on the increasingly lucrative world of display ads capable of targeting specific customers by tracking their online behaviors. 
9/30/2010 Industry Coalition Bows Self-Regulation Info Web Site, Readies New Trade Organization  Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and other advertising groups will soon launch a new icon to help Web users understand when behavioral advertising is occurring.
9/29/2010 Web Analysts Push For Privacy Standards Wall Street Journal Jennifer Valentino-DeVries The Wall Street Journal interviewed Eric Peterson and John Lovett of consulting firm Web Analytics Demystified about their efforts to create a code of ethics for Web analysts to clarify "what this stuff can be used for, and more importantly, can't be used for." 
9/27/2010 After Criticism, Scribd Changes Privacy Settings Daily Online Examiner Wendy Davis A report on changes that document-sharing service Scribd made to its privacy defaults. 
9/20/2010 Online Behavioral Advertising: Business Models, Technology and Legal Issues in Q3 2010 and Beyond IAPP Jennifer L. Saunders D. Reed Freeman, CIPP, of Morrison & Foerster LLP, shares some insights on the future of online behavioral advertising. 
8/29/2010 Retargeting Ads Follow Surfers to Other Sites New York Times Miguel Helft and Tanzina Vega A report on an ad industry practice known as personalized retargeting or remarketing, where Internet users are followed from site to site by ads for items they've viewed online. 
8/25/2010 FTC Official Wary About Uses Of Data Beyond Ads Tech Daily Dose Juliana Gruenwald A report on FTC Consumer Protection Bureau Director David Vladeck's comments on concerns that information collected for advertising purposes could be used in other ways.
8/17/2010 Profits vs. Privacy as Businesses Mine Consumer Data CNBC Jon Fortt CNBC reports on retailers' increasing use of analytics software to turn data into profits. 
8/12/2010 Purdue information security expert: Tracking tags on products could threaten consumer privacy Chicago Tribune Associated Press The electronic tracking tags some retailers are putting in their products could threaten consumers' privacy.
7/23/2010 Wal-Mart Radio Tags to Track Clothing Wall Street Journal Miguel Bustillo Walmart will be placing removable smart tags on garments.
7/19/2010 Apple responds to query about privacy policy changes Cnet News Erica Ogg The U.S. congressmen who recently asked Apple to disclose how the company handles customers' location information say they are pleased with the company's response.
7/16/2010 You Want My Personal Data? Reward Me for It New York Times Steve Lohr Just by using the Internet, we are supplying the "raw material that helps generate billions of dollars a year in online advertising revenue," Steve Lohr writes. 
7/14/2010 Online privacy labels to prevent shoppers 'selling their souls' EU Observer Valentina Pop A report on the push by EU and U.S. consumer protection authorities for transparency in e-commerce data collection practices. 
6/27/2010 Mobile coupons help retailers track customers Washington Post Ariana Eunjung Cha Many companies have the technology--and customers' permission, thanks to the privacy policies that users accept routinely without reading--to track minute details of people's movements.
6/24/2010 To Stem Privacy Abuses, Industry Groups Will Track Web Trackers Wall Street Journal Emily Steel Stricter self-regulation for companies that track users' Internet habits for ad targeting is set to be launched in the months ahead.
6/23/2010 Apple offers Opt-Out for iAd, Collects Location Data eweek.com Clint Boulton Apple has updated its iTunes privacy policy to let users opt out of its iAd platform.
6/21/2010 'Power Eye' Lets Consumers Know Why That Web Ad Was Sent to Them Advertising Age Michael Learmonth Dozens of major companies will "pull the veil off their Web ads." 
6/14/2010 Smartphone Trackers Raise Privacy Worries Wall Street Journal Emily Steel As mobile marketing expands on smartphones and other devices, there are concerns among U.S. lawmakers and privacy advocates over the geolocational information marketers collect and how it is used. 
6/3/2010 Firefox Soon to Dent Behavioral Advertising?New Plans for Third Party Cookies. The Future of Privacy Forum Jules Polonetsky Mozilla, creator of Web browser Firefox, is updating its browser code to "dramatically change the handling of third-party cookies." 
5/18/2010 Study: Even Moderate Privacy Regulation Reduces Ad Effectiveness  Online Media Daily Wendy Davis A study conducted by marketing professors concludes that even moderate regulation impacts the effectiveness of ad targeting.
5/17/2010 In Search of the Middle Ground Between Privacy and Making Money ClickZ Amy Manus The online behavioral targeting focus in a privacy bill proposed by Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) relates to what ClickZ News columnist Amy Manus calls the "new 'church and state'--that fine line between making a buck and consumer privacy issues." 
5/13/2010 FTC Chief Hopeful Online Ad Biz Can Self-Regulate  Daily Online Examiner Wendy Davis During a speech in Los Angeles, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz expressed hope in the online advertising industry's ability to self-regulate but also signaled that the FTC may begin looking at the "harm" factor differently.
5/12/2010 Liebowitz: FTC Not Interested In Regulating Behavioral Ads Multichannel News John Eggerton At the Cable Show 2010 in Los Angeles, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz reiterated his stance that the commission is not interested in regulating the behavioral advertising space "so long as self-regulation is making forward progress." 
4/30/2010 Shoppers Who Can’t Have Secrets New York Times Natasha Singer In the post-privacy society, technological advances "are far outpacing personal data protection." 
4/30/2010 Privacy Concerns Limit Online Ads, Study Says New York Times Steve Lohr A survey of marketers has revealed that privacy fears are slowing adoption of behavioral targeting methods.
4/29/2010 New Tool Allows Consumers To Manage Behavioral Targeting Preferences Online Media Daily Wendy Davis A new service has now been unveiled with the aim of giving marketers the ability to let Web users decide what type of targeted advertising they receive. 
4/26/2010 My Life, Seen Through the Eyes of Marketers Advertising Age Michael Bush Another advertising industry trade publication is examining the consumer privacy implications of marketing efforts, asking readers to imagine if personal information ranging from their dates of birth to their mortgage balances to their favorite sports teams could be compiled by marketers into personal profiles for targeted advertising. 
4/23/2010 FTC Chairman on Privacy, Net Neutrality and the Future of News On The Media Bob Garfield As Congress considers expanded rulemaking authority for the nation's consumer protection agency, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz discusses behavioral targeting and other issues with Bob Garfield.
4/20/2010 Why It's Time to Hit the Reset Button on Trust Advertising Age Pete Blackshaw A feature that suggests addressing privacy is among the key components to establishing and maintaining credibility.
4/19/2010 FTC Privacy Review Could Mean Trouble for Online Marketing Advertising Age Bob Garfield Here are two of a cluster of articles in this week's privacy news that seems to reflect growing anxiety about the potential for increased regulation in the online advertising arena. 
4/16/2010 More Privacy for Behavioral Targeting? ClickZ Amy Manus Digital platforms make it easy to track users based on what they are reading, where they are shopping or even whether they are divorced, married or expecting a baby.
4/15/2010 Marketers Watch as Friends Interact Online Wall Street Journal Emily Steel A report that major companies are turning to smaller start-ups to help them use social networking data to target their advertising, and the trend is raising concerns among privacy advocates.
4/14/2010 Tech Specs Issued For 'You Are Being Targeted' Icons Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The Interactive Advertising Bureau and Network Advertising Initiative have released technical standards to accompany a new icon designed to inform Internet users about targeted ads.
4/8/2010 Apple’s Plans for iPhone Location Privacy New York Times Riva Richmond Apple introduced its iAd mobile advertising platform last week and previewed the next version of the iPhone operating system, which will include features to help users control their geo privacy.
4/8/2010 Privacy Groups Urge F.T.C. to Examine Real-Time Ad Auctions New York Times Stephanie Clifford Three privacy groups filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeking a review of the practice of "real-time auctions" for online advertising slots.
4/8/2010 Google, Yahoo and other companies to be targeted in complaint to FTC Mercury News Mike Swift The Center for Digital Democracy, U.S. PIRG and World Privacy Forum plan to file a complaint today with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) questioning the tracking and profiling practices Internet companies use to target consumer advertising.
4/8/2010 French Ad Retargeting Co. Brings CPC And Privacy Model To U.S. Online Media Daily Laurie Sullivan The CEO of a Paris-based retargeting company says its experience in Europe has given it a privacy advantage that it will now introduce to the U.S. market. 
4/6/2010 FTC's New Commissioners Create a Democratic Majority Privacy and Information Security Law Blog Hunton & Williams Julie Brill and Edith Ramirez took their oaths of office this week, bringing the Federal Trade Commission's roster up to five and facilitating its new tougher stance on privacy.
3/26/2010 Agencies Test Industry's New 'You Are Being Targeted' Icon Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Online ad agencies plan to debut a new behavioral targeting icon within weeks.
3/24/2010 NAI Says Marketers Pay More Than Twice As Much For Behavioral Targeting  Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) has released study results that show targeted ads are more valuable than run-of-network ads.
3/16/2010 Ipsos Mendelsohn Reveals Unknown Practices of Affluent Media Daily News David Goetzel While some in the advertising industry are warning peers to be mindful of their practices as the threat of increased regulation looms, others are experimenting with methods that would be considered privacy invasive by some.
3/15/2010 Exploring Ways to Build a Better Consumer Profile   Emily Steel Consumer research firm Nielsen and Web data collection company eXelate Media are forming a new alliance aimed at creating more detailed consumer profiles.
3/11/2010 Instant Ads Set the Pace on the Web New York Times Stephanie Clifford A report on Web publishers' use of real-time bidding, a sales method that lets advertisers "examine site visitors one by one and bid to serve them ads almost instantly." 
3/8/2010 Industry prepares for FTC scrutiny of behavioral ads BtoB Magazine Christopher Hosford A report on two upcoming events that could impact the behavioral advertising industry. Next Monday, several advertisers will begin using an icon designed to better inform Web users about targeted advertisements. 
3/4/2010 New Faces At FTC Could Spur Crackdown On Web Privacy Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The Senate this week confirmed two new Federal Trade commissioners, and one is known for her support of privacy laws.
3/4/2010 Brain Scans Could Be Marketing Tool Of The Future Duke University Laura Brinn Neuromarketing, which uses advanced scientific tools such as the functional MRI in an effort to determine what consumers like and dislike, has some wondering if this product-testing science will literally allow marketers to read people's minds.
3/3/2010 Ads Posted on Facebook Strike Some as Off-Key New York Times Brad Stone Reactions to Facebook's self-service ad system, which lets advertisers target promotions to users based on information they post to their profiles. 
3/1/2010 Privacy Group Calls for New Online Drug Ad Regs National Journal Sara Jerome The Center for Digital Democracy is calling for new regulations on how pharmaceutical companies market their products.
2/25/2010 Start-Up Links 65 Million IP Addresses To Users, Readies Targeting Platform  Online Media Daily Wendy Davis In a move that promises to push the debate on whether IP addresses should be considered personally identifiable information, a behavioral targeting company says it will soon launch an ad platform that is based on users' IP addresses. 
2/24/2010 Congress Adds Location-Based Mobile to List of Privacy Concerns ClickZ Kate Kaye Congress is taking a closer look at location-based technologies and their potential impact on consumer privacy and safety.
2/15/2010 Pitching Self-Regulation Ad Week Mike Shields A report on digital media leaders' efforts to stave off regulation around online advertising. 
2/9/2010 AdMob may win big even as privacy debate rages San Francisco Chronicle James Temple The potential purchase of a firm specializing in mobile device advertising by a popular Internet search engine has privacy advocates bringing their concerns to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
2/4/2010 FTC's Privacy Roundtable Series:  What Can Marketers Expect? AdWeek Reed Freeman With two of its three roundtable events now complete, it appears the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) new privacy framework could be one "where greater transparency and choice mechanisms will be required as the privacy risks, including the risk of identity theft, go up," D. Reed Freeman, CIPP, suggests. 
1/29/2010 FTC's Focus Re Privacy Issues Emerging  Marketing Daily Karlene Lukovitz Following last week's Federal Trade Commission (FTC) privacy roundtable event, the FTC is focusing on the difference between consumer expectations and business practices.
1/28/2010 Customers Sue ISP For Installing NebuAd 'Spyware,' Offering Defective Opt-Outs Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Two customers have filed a lawsuit against their Kansas-based Internet service provider (ISP) for allegedly sharing their online information with a defunct behavioral targeting company.
1/28/2010 FTC To Silicon Valley: Tech Companies Should Protect Consumer Data Forbes Laurie Burkitt The Federal Trade Commission's Pamela Jones Harbour called on technology companies to encourage innovation to come up with new ways to protect consumer privacy at the FTC privacy roundtable at the UC Berkeley School of Law. 
1/26/2010 A Little ‘i’ to Teach About Online Privacy New York Times Stephanie Clifford The Future of Privacy Forum will today introduce an icon designed to help advertisers better inform consumers about the methods behind their online ads.
1/25/2010 Rest Assured, Citizen: Privacy Gets a RoboCop Media Post Steve Smith In an interview with MediaPost's Behavioral Insider, Better Advertising's Scott Meyer said that, in order for the online advertising industry to demonstrate to consumers, businesses and the Federal Trade Commission that self-regulation works, there needs to be an automated process for verifying compliance with best practices. 
1/22/2010 Retail Firms Drop Controversial Online Sales Tactic Tech Daily Dose Juliana Gruenwald Eight online retailers have announced they will no longer allow third-party marketing firms to offer discount memberships that result in retailers sharing consumers' credit and debit card information without their knowledge.
1/20/2010 Microsoft: Privacy, Data, Ad Targeting Hit Crossroads In 2010 Media Post Laurie Sullivan Jeff Lanctot, Microsoft's managing director of advertiser and publisher solutions, told MediaPost's Behavioral Insider that, after a rancorous 2009, 2010 will be a year when many questions related to behavioral targeting (BT) and online marketing will be defined and answered. 
1/18/2010 Privacy & Consumer Protection: What to Expect in 2010 Bank Info Security   Lydia Parnes, former Director of Consumer Protection for the Federal Trade Commission, in a podcast for BankInfoSecurity, offered her predictions for what to expect of the FTC in 2010. 
1/14/2010 Flash Cookies Could Become Hot-Button Privacy Issue Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The growing use of cookie-like local shared objects--also known as Flash cookies--may force regulators to draft new restrictions if the technology is used to override consumer preferences and track their browsing habits.
1/12/2010 Consumer protection agencies need privacy definitions The Hill Ari Schwartz Center for Democracy and Technology Vice President and COO Ari Schwartz says he believes consumer protection agencies need standardized language in order to clarify consumer complaints. 
1/12/2010 Under New Captain, FTC Trims Sails For Speed  Marketing Daily Karl Greenberg Statements made by a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) official during a discussion at the law firm Venable LLC, send a strong signal that, under new management, industry can expect the agency to be much more aggressive this year on issues such as privacy and advertising to children. 
1/11/2010 F.T.C.: Has Internet Gone Beyond Privacy Policies? New York Times Stephanie Clifford Top Federal Trade Commission (FTC) officials suggested that the Internet has evolved past privacy policies and that when it comes to online privacy, we might be moving to a post-disclosure era.
1/11/2010 Protecting consumer privacy online The Hill Randall Rothenberg In an opinion essay published in The Hill, Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, says proposed legislation aimed at protecting consumer privacy online will have a detrimental effect on the Internet as a commercial conduit by placing the burden of privacy protection on individual Web sites through a strict opt-in model. 
1/4/2010 2010 Will Be a Decisive Year for Ad Privacy and Regulation ClickZ Jack Marshall Regulatory scrutiny in the online ad space will continue and 2010 will be a decisive year for behavioral targeting. 
12/7/2009 Yahoo Privacy Tool Lets You Control Ad Tracking PC Magazine Chloe Albanesius Yahoo this week announced the addition of advertising tracking controls to its suite of privacy tools.
12/7/2009 FTC Grapples With Privacy At Roundtable With Industry Professionals, Privacy Advocates, Academics Online Media Daily Wendy Davis In a roundtable with industry leaders and consumer advocates this week, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member Pamela Jones Harbour said "The United States needs comprehensive privacy legislation" to address concerns with behaviorally targeted advertising. 
12/3/2009 IAB: 'Advertising Is Creepy' Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The Interactive Advertising Bureau launched an online campaign aimed at educating consumers about targeted advertising.
12/3/2009 Seeking a Symbol for ‘This Ad Knows About You’ New York Times Saul Hansell The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), with the help of advertising conglomerate WPP, has come up with an assortment of symbols intended to help Web users understand when their activities are being tracked for the purpose of customized advertising.
12/3/2009 Website invading your privacy? Bookmark it (and alert the FTC) ARS Technica Nate Anderson As part of its new 'Take Back Your Privacy Campaign," the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), has released a browser tool that Internet users can employ to flag privacy problems.
11/30/2009 Centrist Group Calls for Laws Curbing Online Tracking Wired Ryan Singel The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), a leading privacy advocacy organization, is poised to release a strong rebuke of current efforts to manage online privacy and a concurrent campaign to push for federal privacy legislation. 
11/17/2009 Einstein 3 Privacy Concerns Voiced GovInfoSecurity Eric Chabrow Lawmakers are considering the privacy implications of online and offline advertising. 
11/17/2009 Study: Consumers Equate BT With 'Privacy Harm' Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have released the results of a qualitative survey on behavioral advertising that suggest consumers view the practice as a "privacy harm." 
11/8/2009 Advertisers face resistance to on-line tracking Google Daniel Silva Among the many developments coming out of last week's 31st International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners in Madrid, the world's privacy leaders have agreed to implement steps aimed at curbing the rate and volume of data collected about consumers online.
10/26/2009 Are retailers going too far tracking our Web habits? USA Today Jayne O'Donnell The ongoing debate about behavioral targeting--advertisers' use of Internet users' browsing activities for serving relevant promotions. 
10/13/2009 Judge Dismisses Case Against ISPs That Worked With Closed NebuAd Online Media Daily Wendy Davis U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson has dismissed a privacy lawsuit targeting six ISPs for their association with now defunct behavioral advertising firm NebuAd on the grounds that California has no jurisdiction over the companies. 
10/7/2009 Online ads: Big Brother or customer service? Reuters Basil Katz In spite of the Federal Trade Commission's recent decision to allow the industry to self-regulate, it appears Congress is prepared to pass legislation addressing data collection and use by online advertisers. 
10/5/2009 Study: All ages concerned with privacy issues BizReport Kristina Knight BizReport covers the university study which reveals that, regardless of age, the majority of respondents don't want tailored content if it means they would be tracked via the internet.
10/2/2009 Big Brother is watching you shop BBC News Michael Fitzpatrick A report on advertisers' eagerness to hone targeting abilities using biometrics and camera-laden advertisements, among other emerging technologies. 
10/2/2009 FTC's Vladeck: No 8-Track Policies in Ipod World Daily Online Examiner Wendy Davis FTC consumer protection bureau chief David Vladeck reiterated his stance on behavioral targeting at an NYU Law School privacy workshop on Friday.
10/1/2009 Web surfers say no to tailored ads, study found San Francisco Chronicle Alejandro Martinez-Cabrera A report on the results of the first national survey of Americans' attitudes toward behavioral targeting.
9/29/2009 Two-Thirds of Americans Object to Online Tracking, Study Says New York Times Stephanie Clifford The results of what is believed to be the first independent nationally representative telephone survey on behavioral advertising were released and the findings indicate that two-thirds of Americans object to online tracking.
9/24/2009 The Looming Battle Over Targeted Ads Forbes Evan Hessel Evan Hessel says Web users and marketers should expect the debate over Web ad privacy to intensify. 
9/8/2009 OpenTV Opens Way to Behavioral Advertising on the TV PC World Mikael Ricknas A report that OpenTV, a television measurement platform provider, will extend its platform to third parties in hopes developers will create "next-generation set-top boxes" that track viewing behaviors. 
9/4/2009 FTC Urges FCC To Consider Behavioral Targeting in Broadband Plan Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recommended that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) consider the privacy issues associated with behavioral targeting when creating its national broadband plan.
9/1/2009 Privacy Advocates Push for New Legislation New York Times Stephanie Clifford A who's who of consumer and privacy groups launched a concerted push for behavioral targeting legislation. 
9/1/2009 Planned privacy law may hamper online ad industry Wall Street Journal John Letzing A spokesperson for Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) has confirmed that the Congressman's staff is drafting a bill related to online advertising and that an "opt in" requirement will be part of it.
8/28/2009 Consumer Groups Launching Online Privacy Push Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton Consumer groups and privacy advocates will launch a push for government oversight of behavioral advertising. 
8/24/2009 Do consumers care about web privacy? Advertising Age Abbey Klaassen The advertising network Fetchback compared the rate of users' opt outs before and after it began offering a link to more information about the ads, finding that slightly fewer users opted out when given more information about the ad modules.
8/19/2009 Business Leaders Must Take Control of the Privacy Discussion Advertising Age Gunnar Brune Business leaders must drive the privacy discussion on targeted advertising. 
8/17/2009 Outspoken Privacy Advocate Joins FTC Wired Kim Zetter The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has hired an outspoken privacy advocate to a one-year, part-time position in its Bureau of Consumer Protection.
8/14/2009 Mobile Advertising More Personal In 2020 Online Media Daily Mark Walsh A new OgilvyOne report predicts that by the year 2020, mobile device users will choose the types of targeted ads they receive, and an opt-in model for receiving mobile ads will be standard.
8/4/2009 David Vladeck's Fresh Views at Agency Overseeing Online Ads New York Times Stephanie Clifford The new Consumer Protection Bureau chief for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says current online ad industry privacy frameworks "are no longer sufficient." 
8/2/2009 The FTC Takes On Targeted Web Ads Business Week Douglas MacMillan BusinessWeek reports on Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz's growing impatience with what he views as a lack of significant progress on the marketing industry's attempts to self-regulate when it comes to behavioral advertising. 
7/30/2009 Ads Follow Web Users, and Get Deeply Personal New York Times Stephanie Clifford A report on the behind-the-scenes linking of online and offline data that lets marketers and advertisers deliver uber-personalized advertisements. 
7/30/2009 There's a price to pay in lost privacy for all that free stuff on the Internet Vancouver Sun Mitch Joel E-commerce aside, the costs of online engagement are inconspicuous. 
7/14/2009 Yahoo Develops Mobile Opt Out Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Yahoo will let mobile users opt out of tailored advertising.
7/12/2009 The paradox of privacy New York Times Eric Pfanner The New York Times explores how recent news events highlight the relationship between "privacy and control," and how it can complicate our online dealings.
7/6/2009 Four Privacy Protections the Online Ad Industry Left Out New York Times Saul Hansell The online advertising industry released new standards for collecting and using data collected from Web users. 
7/6/2009 Differing definitions of 'sensitive data' BusinessWeek Douglas MacMillan The online advertising industry released new self-regulatory guidelines.  A BusinessWeek blog examines the industry's proposed definition of "sensitive data," which some feel is too broad.
7/1/2009 Industry Tightens Its Stantdards for Tracking Web Surfers New York Times Stephanie Clifford Advertising industry trade groups will release a report today outlining new self-regulatory guidelines for behavioral targeting.
6/25/2009 The Political Ad Practice Insiders Want to Keep Secret ClickZ Kate Kaye Depending on your political persuasion and certain other factors, in the future, your presence in the area of a candidate's political rally might result in the delivery of an ad to your mobile phone encouraging you to attend. 
6/25/2009 Web Privacy Efforts Targeted Wall Street Journal   Advertising groups will announce new self-regulatory guidelines for online marketing in the coming weeks.
6/23/2009 FTC: BT Privacy Strategies 'Not Working' Online Daily Examiner Wendy Davis Two Federal Trade Commission (FTC) officials discussed online advertising practices at an American Bar Association conference recently.
6/22/2009 Cable venture suspends first ads, citing technical issues News Day Associated Press Canoe Ventures has suspended plans to begin trialing its targeting advertising product, citing technical concerns. 
6/19/2009 Lawmakers Blast Internet Data Collection Wall Street Journal Amy Schatz At a joint hearing, legislators from House Energy and Commerce subcommittees pressed Internet companies on their behavioral targeting practices.
6/18/2009 Internet Marketing: Is Regulation Coming? Business Week Douglas MacMillan A BusinessWeek report explores the Congress hearing on Web companies' behavioral targeting practices and touches on the results of a university study showing the pervasiveness of behavioral targeting tools. 
6/16/2009 Congress to Griill Web Companies Thursday Daily Online Examiner Wendy Davis The House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection will hold a joint hearing to discuss cookies-based behavioral advertising.
6/15/2009 Hunch wants you to give it some ideas Los Angeles Times David Sarno A New York company, Hunch.com, will tailor answers to consumer-generated questions using user-supplied and microdemographic data.
6/10/2009 Internet Ad Group: Pols should be careful with privacy rules PC World Grant Gross The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) wants lawmakers to consider the scope of the Internet economy when considering tighter restrictions on certain online advertising practices.
6/3/2009 Microsoft, Google Cautiously  Endorse Privacy Bill InternetNews.com Kenneth Corbin During a panel discussion about online advertisers' behavioral targeting practices at the Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference in Washington, DC , top lawyers for two behavioral advertisers expressed their support for privacy legislation and more industry self-regulation.
6/3/2009 Opting out of Targeted Ads Too Hard, Privacy Advocates Say PC World Grant Gross That opting-out of targeted advertising is difficult was a point panelists and audience members agreed upon during a discussion on behavioral targeting at the Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference in Washington, DC. 
6/2/2009 White House Aide Warns Online Advertisers To Be Monitored Wall Street Journal   A senior aide to President Barack Obama said that the administration will keep a close watch on the practices of online advertisers.
5/21/2009 NebuAd Defense Does Way More Than Rest Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Last week, behavioral targeting company NebuAd filed liquidation papers in a California court. This week, defense attorneys for the company asked a San Francisco federal court to withdraw them as counsel in a privacy lawsuit against NebuAd.
5/20/2009 Can WPP Demystify Behavioral Targeting? The Daily Online Examiner Wendy Davis The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has embarked on research to find effective ways to communicate with Web users about online behavioral advertising practices. 
5/18/2009 NebuAd Shuts Down Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Behavioral targeting firm NebuAd has closed.
5/18/2009 Paper: Consumer Data Helps Fuel Internet Economy PC World Grant Gross The authors of a paper contend that online data collection and the practices it feeds are "the basis for many of the business models that are fueling the growth of the Internet." 
5/18/2009 IAB Issues Social Advertising Guidelines Online Media Daily Mark Walsh The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released guidelines for social media advertising.
5/15/2009 A "Strong Nudge" from FTC May Lead to "Draconian Measures" ClickZ Kate Kaye The Federal Trade Commission continues its push for more robust standards in the online advertising arena.
5/12/2009 FTC's Leibowitz Opts For BT Opt-In The Daily Online Examiner Wendy Davis A top regulator thinks companies should get Web users' consent before tracking their online behavior to serve targeted ads. 
4/27/2009 FTC: "Last chance" for 'Net advertisers to come to Jesus Ars Technica Nate Anderson The head of the Federal Trade Commission, Jon Leibowitz, has just made clear that the online behavioral advertising business is "pretty close to its last clear chance to demonstrate" the wonders of self-regulation.
4/27/2009 AT&T Says It Didn't Lie to Congress InternetNews.com Kenneth Corbin Telecom giant tries to set the record straight amid scrutiny over behavioral targeting after testimony in a House hearing last week.
4/24/2009 AT&T Sends Mixed Message on Behavioral Advertising  IDG via PC World Grant Gross AT&T's chief privacy officer told U.S. lawmakers that the company does not engage in behavioral advertising, but the company has apparently used the controversial technology to sell its products, according to a vendor of such services.
4/22/2009 AT&T Backs Privacy Rules Wall Street Journal   AT&T's chief privacy officer will be among those testifying before the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet.
4/22/2009 Canoe Responds To Suggestions of Privacy and Antitrust Problems Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton Canoe Ventures is defending its move into what it calls "Community Addressable Messaging," saying that suggestions of privacy issues associated with the practice are unwarranted. 
4/16/2009 Wikipedia opts out of Phorm User Wired Ryan Singel Wikipedia has asked behavioral advertising technology company Phorm to remove its domain names from the company's controversial Webwise service.
4/7/2009 Cable's answer to online's ad success: targeting The Associated Press Quantcast
Deborah Yao
A consortium of the nation's six largest cable companies--Canoe Ventures--will begin delivering targeted advertisements to television viewers nationwide beginning this summer.
4/6/2009 FCC Looks Ahead to Net Neutrality, Privacy Internet News Kenneth Corbin Speaking at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association conference, a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) representative suggested that the commission might become more involved in the behavioral advertising debate.
3/25/2009 Firms track and sell data on all your web clicks New York Times Stephanie Clifford A report on the emergence of virtual cookie stores--behavioral exchanges where advertisers can buy information on Web users' behavior. 
3/24/2009 Preventing Fraud Requires Customer Data Response CIO Sagi Leizerov Up to nine percent of return transactions involve some form of fraud or abuse. 
3/19/2009 An Icon That Says They're Watching You New York Times Saul Hansell A university professor has developed a way for companies that employ behavioral advertising on their sites to better communicate this activity to users.
3/17/2009 Broser Add-on Locks out Targeted Advertising PC World Jeremy Kirk A Harvard fellow has developed a tool to help Internet users take a bite out of targeting advertising.
3/12/2009 A Guide to Google's New Privacy Controls New York Times Saul Hansell Saul Hansell offers a guide to the privacy controls of Google's behavioral advertising platform. 
3/11/2009 Google to Offer Ads Based on Interests New York Times Mighel Helft A year after its acquisition of Doubleclick, Google yesterday began showing Web surfers "interest-based ads." 
3/10/2009 P&G Lawyer Calls Up Industry to Work at Defending Self-Regulation Advertising Age Rupal Parekh Speaking at the Association of National Advertisers' Advertising Law and Business Affairs Conference in New York, former Federal Trade Commission chairperson Deborah Platt Majoras said that business needs to defend self-regulation. 
3/4/2009 Behavioral Targeting: Not That Bad? Market Watch Carolyn Hodge Consumers are more attuned to behavioral targeting efforts than they were two years ago, and are doing something about it. 
3/4/2009 Adzilla faces Potential Class-Action Lawsuit Online Media Daily Wendy Davis A Virginia woman has filed a lawsuit against behavioral targeting company Adzilla.
3/3/2009 Cable Companies Target Commercials to the Audience New York Times Stephanie Clifford Television viewers in Brooklyn, the Bronx and parts of New Jersey will begin seeing television ads more relevant to them as Cablevision Systems expands the scope of its targeted ad testing to a half-million homes.
3/2/2009 Advertiser tracking of Web surfing brings suits The National Law Journal Tresa Baldas Behavioral advertising has come under increasing scrutiny over the past several months, with consumer backlash, congressional hearings and the first class-action law suit on the deep packet inspection efforts of targeted ad provider NebuAd. 
2/13/2009 FTC Online Privacy Guidelines Faulted BusinessWeek Douglas MacMillan Shortly after releasing its guidelines for online marketing industry self regulation, the Federal Trade Commission came under criticism from consumer and privacy advocates for not doing enough to protect consumer privacy. 
2/12/2009 FTC Staff Revises Online Behavioral Advertising Principles Federal Trade Commission Betsy Lordan The Federal Trade Commission this morning released a revised report outlining its guidelines for online marketing industry self-regulation. 
1/13/2009 FTC asked to protect mobile privacy Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Advocacy groups want the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to look into mobile marketers' use of behavioral and geo-targeting practices. 
1/6/2009 Kroger uses loyalty data to target coupons Washington Post Dan Sewell The nation's largest traditional grocery store chain has harnessed data mining to put the right coupons into the hands of its customers
12/23/2008 Privacy Policies:  The Good, the Bad and the Witty TechNewsWorld Erika Morphy In contrast to lengthy policies packed with legalese and seemingly endless details that most consumers ignore, some firms are opting for a more blunt approach. 
11/13/2008 Web tracker NebuAd sued over privacy claims seattlepi.com Paul Elias A lawsuit accusing Internet startup NebuAd of breaking federal and state privacy laws was filed in San Francisco federal court.
10/13/2008 Can biometrics in retailing really take off? Talking Retail Mary Brett Whitfield Retailers' use of biometrics promises to speed checkouts, cut costs and help reduce fraud. 
10/8/2008 Privacy Group Asks States To Investigate Social Nets Online Media Daily Wendy Davis The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) on Tuesday sent letters to the New York and California Attorneys General, asking them to investigate "hypertargeting" advertising methods used by popular social networking sites.
10/2/2008 Consumers' Understanding of Privacy Rules in the Marketplace Red Orbit Joseph Turow, Michael Hennessy and Amy Bleakley Researchers Joseph Turow, Michael Hennessy and Amy Bleakley compiled the findings of several studies to deliver "Consumers' Understanding of Privacy Rules in the Marketplace," which examines in detail the concept of "limited knowledge" as a factor in consumers' failure to protect their online privacy.
10/1/2008 Credit-card security standard issued after much debate Network World Ellen Messmer NetworkWorld reports that the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council last week issued revised rules in an attempt to better protect cardholders' data. 
9/25/2008 Large ISPs endorse customer opt-in for Web tracking New York Times Grant Gross Before a Senate committee yesterday, three of the four largest U.S. Internet service providers (ISPs) said they will adopt a customer opt-in policy before tracking their online activities.
9/23/2008 Tougher consumer data rule adopted Boston Globe Todd Wallack The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation yesterday released rules designed to help protect consumers' personal information.
9/22/2008 IAB Pushes For Self-Reg Online Media Daily Joe Mandese The Interactive Advertising Bureau wants an industry regulatory body to police consumer online privacy, but a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) official fears regulation is on the horizon.
9/16/2008 If you don't need it don't keep it Wall Street Journal Ben Worthen Ben Worthen describes a shifting mindset  in the business community, where organizations are weighing the benefits of storing customer data for future market research purposes versus the risks they acquire when housing the data. 
9/3/2008 I'll be back'" Vetoed data breach bill goes to Schwarzenegger again Computerworld Jaikumar Vijayan California's Consumer Data Protection Act is headed back to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk.
9/3/2008 CEO of embattled Web-tracking firm NebuAd leaves Washington Post Peter Svensson NebuAd Inc., the company whose tracking technology helps Internet service providers (ISPs) deliver targeted ads to subscribers has a new chief executive
9/3/2008 Facebook Ads Target You Where It Hurts Washington Post Rachel Beckman Rachel Beckman writes about using a social network that targets advertising to users based on the personal details they divulge, and the psychological toll such methods could inflict.
9/1/2008 Slow movement toward online privacy reform Miami Herald Edward Wasserman Washington and Lee University Professor Edward Wasserman discusses the lack of consumer outrage on the use of behavioral targeting among Internet service providers and online advertisers.
8/26/2008 Customer privacy a serious challenge for marketers SearchCRM.com Barney Beal In a Q&A interview with SearchCRM.com, Ray Everett Church, a self-described privacy evangelist and the world's first chief privacy officer, explains how embedding an organization's privacy philosophy into customer communications helps build trust. 
8/25/2008 What we need is a digital bill of rights Washington Post Erick Schonfeld Erick Schonfeld takes a "first stab" at a proposed digital "bill of rights" intended to spell out "what freedoms and rights consumers can expect from Internet service providers, content companies, device manufacturers and the government itself." 
8/21/2008 Face-Based Advertising, coming soon to store near your Wired Meghan Keane Meghan Keane writes on new innovations that are contributing to a resurgence in out-of-home advertising, or "place-based media."
8/21/2008 Internet Providers' New Tool Raises Deep Privacy Concerns The Washington Post Rob Pegoraro In his "Fast Forward" column, Rob Pegoraro of the Washington Post goes deep on deep packet inspection, the technology many Internet service providers are considering to enhance the way they advertise to customers.
8/19/2008 FTC Bans Pre-Recorded Telemarketer Calls Consumer Affairs   Telemarketers are no longer permitted to deliver pre-recorded calls to consumers now that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized two amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule.
8/14/2008 AT&T Mulls Watching You Surf New York Times Saul Hansell Saul Hansell reports on AT&T's response to a congressional committee's inquiry on whether it monitors customers' Web surfing activities.
8/14/2008 Congress to Push Web Privacy BusinessWeek Heather Green Congress is watching the behavioral targeting industry and the behavioral targeting industry is watching Congress, as House Energy & Commerce Committee members prepare to introduce broad online privacy legislation in the upcoming congressional session.
8/12/2008 Some Web Firms Say They Track Behavior Without Explicit Consent The Washington Post Ellen Nakashima The House Energy and Commerce Committee has posted on its Web site the response letters it has received so far from Internet and broadband companies about their use of targeted-advertising technology.
8/11/2008 Web privacy on the radar in Congress International Herald Tribune Stephanie Clifford An International Herald Tribune report highlights ongoing congressional action in the area of behavioral targeting, including July hearings on deep packet inspection technologies and customer notification.
8/1/2008 Lawmakers demand info Web tracking practices The Associated Press Joelle Tessler U.S. lawmakers concerned about the practice of behavioral targeting have broadened their inquiry on the topic. 
7/22/2008 FTC settles CAN-SPAM dispute DMNews Dianna Dilworth The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 4-0 to settle its case against Spear Systems Inc., which allegedly violated the CAN-SPAM Act by sending unsolicited e-mails for weight loss supplements. 
7/22/2008 ISP responds to lawmaker concerns about ad tracking Network World Grant Gross The Internet service provider (ISP) under Congressional scrutiny for its use of a controversial customer-tracking tool has suspended its test of the tool, reports Network World. In a letter, Embarq, the Kansas-based ISP, assured lawmakers that it will not test or deploy NebuAd's tracking service until privacy concerns have been addressed. 
7/16/2008 NebuAd Faces More Congressional Scrutiny Online Media Daily Wendy Davis Members of Congress continue looking at the potential privacy ramifications of behavioral targeting practices.
7/7/2008 CAN-SPAM updates take effect DMNews Diana Dilworth Updates to the CAN-SPAM Act, including a mandate that marketers make opt-out a one-step process, went into effect this week. The updates were designed to clarify ambiguity in the 2003 law, and DM News reports the marketing community has embraced the changes. 
7/7/2008 CAN-SPAM updates take effect DMNews Diana Dilworth Updates to the CAN-SPAM Act, including a mandate that marketers make opt-out a one-step process, went into effect this week. The updates were designed to clarify ambiguity in the 2003 law, and DM News reports the marketing community has embraced the changes. 
5/16/2008 WhitePages.com grapples with privacy in a Web 2.0 world Computerworld Steven Vaughan-Nichols A Computerworld report highlights the next steps for Whitepages.com, provider of online phone book-style listings, which include both increased social-networking capabilities and added features to let the 180 million people listed on the site manage the privacy of their information. 
5/16/2008 WhitePages.com grapples with privacy in a Web 2.0 world Computerworld Steven Vaughan-Nichols A Computerworld report highlights the next steps for Whitepages.com, provider of online phone book-style listings, which include both increased social-networking capabilities and added features to let the 180 million people listed on the site manage the privacy of their information. 
5/15/2008 Most don't know personal data can be sold San Francisco Chronicle Deborah Gage A survey of 1,000 Californians finds that most are unaware of how businesses are using and selling their personal data.
5/15/2008 Most don't know personal data can be sold San Francisco Chronicle Deborah Gage A survey of 1,000 Californians finds that most are unaware of how businesses are using and selling their personal data.
5/14/2008 Charter will monitor customers web surfing to target ads New York Times Saul Hansell Providing an enhanced user experience and a healthy bottom line is the impetus behind Charter Communications' foray into the behavioral targeting market.
5/14/2008 Charter will monitor customers web surfing to target ads New York Times Saul Hansell Providing an enhanced user experience and a healthy bottom line is the impetus behind Charter Communications' foray into the behavioral targeting market.
5/12/2008 FTC to scrutinize contactless payment technology Network World   The Federal Trade Commission has announced a town hall meeting for the purpose of looking into the security and privacy implications of contactless payment systems that utilize radio frequency identification.
5/12/2008 FTC Approves New Rule Provision under the CAN-SPAM Act Federal Trade Commission   The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved four new rule provisions to clarify requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003). The new rule provisions address four topics, including modifying the definitions of the terms "sender" and "person," and tightening restrictions on what companies can and cannot require of e-mail recipients who opt-out of future emails.
5/12/2008 FTC to scrutinize contactless payment technology Network World   The Federal Trade Commission has announced a town hall meeting for the purpose of looking into the security and privacy implications of contactless payment systems that utilize radio frequency identification.
5/12/2008 FTC Approves New Rule Provision under the CAN-SPAM Act Federal Trade Commission   The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved four new rule provisions to clarify requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003). The new rule provisions address four topics, including modifying the definitions of the terms "sender" and "person," and tightening restrictions on what companies can and cannot require of e-mail recipients who opt-out of future emails.
5/6/2008 Loopt's Brian Knapp: Mapping Out a Proactive Privacy Strategy E-Commerce News Rachelle Crum Staying ahead of the curve on user privacy is essential to Brian Knapp, who has worked to build relationships with privacy-related organizations in an effort to take Loopt, the mobile mapping company, "up a level" when it comes to user privacy. 
5/6/2008 Groups Complain to FTC About Mobile Marketing Online Media Daily Jeffrey Chester Two groups have filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission against mobile marketers. The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group announced their intent to protest mobile marketing early in the industry's development in an attempt to influence policy before marketers abuse the medium as they believe online marketers did before. 
5/6/2008 Loopt's Brian Knapp: Mapping Out a Proactive Privacy Strategy E-Commerce News Rachelle Crum Staying ahead of the curve on user privacy is essential to Brian Knapp, who has worked to build relationships with privacy-related organizations in an effort to take Loopt, the mobile mapping company, "up a level" when it comes to user privacy. 
5/6/2008 Groups Complain to FTC About Mobile Marketing Online Media Daily Jeffrey Chester Two groups have filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission against mobile marketers. The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group announced their intent to protest mobile marketing early in the industry's development in an attempt to influence policy before marketers abuse the medium as they believe online marketers did before. 
4/24/2008 E-Contracting Wrap-Up: One Hit, Three Errors bnablog Thoms O'Toole Adware vendor Direct Revenue on March 12 turned back a lawsuit filed by the New York State Attorney General based on the strength of the company's end user license agreement (EULA). 
4/24/2008 E-Contracting Wrap-Up: One Hit, Three Errors bnablog Thoms O'Toole Adware vendor Direct Revenue on March 12 turned back a lawsuit filed by the New York State Attorney General based on the strength of the company's end user license agreement (EULA). 
4/17/2008 Privacy Advocates:  Consumer Education Isn't Enough PC World Grant Gross Two more advocacy groups have signed on to the notion that Congress should pass "do not track" legislation to protect consumers from having data gathered about their online habits.
4/17/2008 Privacy Advocates:  Consumer Education Isn't Enough PC World Grant Gross Two more advocacy groups have signed on to the notion that Congress should pass "do not track" legislation to protect consumers from having data gathered about their online habits.
4/8/2008 Microsoft-Yahoo:  The Privacy Issue Business Week David Holtzman In a Viewpoint piece, Holtzman discusses the anticipated Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo in terms of the privacy concerns that will result as Microsoft forays into the world of identity management. Holtzman raises questions about how, as the two companies combine, the vast amount of consumers' personal data on Yahoo will be used, and for how long it will be retained, among other questions. 
4/8/2008 Microsoft-Yahoo:  The Privacy Issue Business Week David Holtzman In a Viewpoint piece, Holtzman discusses the anticipated Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo in terms of the privacy concerns that will result as Microsoft forays into the world of identity management. Holtzman raises questions about how, as the two companies combine, the vast amount of consumers' personal data on Yahoo will be used, and for how long it will be retained, among other questions. 
3/31/2008 Web surfers know advertisers are watching - and don't like it  ARS Technica Jacqui Cheng According to a recent poll conducted by TNS Global on behalf of TRUSTe, nearly 3/4 of U.S. consumers know that data is being collected about them when they are online, 57 percent of them aren't happy about it. 
3/31/2008 Web surfers know advertisers are watching - and don't like it  ARS Technica Jacqui Cheng According to a recent poll conducted by TNS Global on behalf of TRUSTe, nearly 3/4 of U.S. consumers know that data is being collected about them when they are online, 57 percent of them aren't happy about it. 
3/28/2008 TRUSTe Report Reveals Consumer Awareness and Attitudes About Behavioral Targeting Marketwire.com Morgan McDowell Consumer privacy specialist TRUSTe released results of a study to determine how American Internet users feel about behavioral targeting and its impact on their personal privacy. 
3/28/2008 Phones Will Soon Tell Where You Are Wall Street Journal AMOL SHARMA and JESSICA E. VASCELLARO Until now, privacy and liability concerns have restrained cellular carriers from offering up real-time location tracking services via their GPS-enabled phones. But with a generation of young people clamoring for still more ways to stay connected with friends, carriers are weighing potential risks against potential sales and are cautiously bringing the feature to market.
3/28/2008 TRUSTe Report Reveals Consumer Awareness and Attitudes About Behavioral Targeting Marketwire.com Morgan McDowell Consumer privacy specialist TRUSTe released results of a study to determine how American Internet users feel about behavioral targeting and its impact on their personal privacy. 
3/28/2008 Phones Will Soon Tell Where You Are Wall Street Journal AMOL SHARMA and JESSICA E. VASCELLARO Until now, privacy and liability concerns have restrained cellular carriers from offering up real-time location tracking services via their GPS-enabled phones. But with a generation of young people clamoring for still more ways to stay connected with friends, carriers are weighing potential risks against potential sales and are cautiously bringing the feature to market.
3/17/2008 David Lazarus: Next lines of cell phones have privacy implications FresnoBee.com David Lazarus As California considers bills to address the use of RFID, wireless phone makers continue implementing RFID technology into cell phones, in a move that will technologically "tag" nearly everyone, eventually. 
3/17/2008 David Lazarus: Next lines of cell phones have privacy implications FresnoBee.com David Lazarus As California considers bills to address the use of RFID, wireless phone makers continue implementing RFID technology into cell phones, in a move that will technologically "tag" nearly everyone, eventually. 
3/11/2008 Google Finalizes $3.1 Bilion Double Click  Acquisition Information Week Thomas Claburn With Tuesday's okay by regulators in the European Union, Google has cleared the final hurdle in its pending acquisition of online advertising metrics group DoubleClick.
3/11/2008 Google Finalizes $3.1 Bilion Double Click  Acquisition Information Week Thomas Claburn With Tuesday's okay by regulators in the European Union, Google has cleared the final hurdle in its pending acquisition of online advertising metrics group DoubleClick.
3/10/2008 To Aim Ads, Web Is Keeping Closer Eye on You New York Times Louise Story A New York Times article on the growing sophistication of behavioral targeting techniques shows that privacy advocates continue to be alarmed at the volume of consumer data collection and the ways in which it is collected online. 
3/10/2008 Advertising Sent to Cellphones Opens new Front In War On Spam Washington Post Kim Hart No longer solely the bane of email, spam has begun to plague the text services of cell phone subscribers. Industry estimates put the number of text messages sent to cell phones between 1.1 and 1.5 billion per year, and Verizon Wireless says it blocks more than 200 million spam text messages per year.
3/4/2008 Online Advertisers Beware:  Privacy Regulators Closing In On Online Tracking The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel Amy Worlton According to the Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission may signal increased attention on the behavioral advertising sector. 
1/31/2008 Company Combines Voter And Consumer Data Wired Kim Zetter At the height of the presidential primary season, a Wired article tells the story of data aggregator Aristotle, which for nearly twenty years has been combining voter registration data with information from other sources to provide highly detailed voter lists to campaign strategists.
1/31/2008 Company Combines Voter And Consumer Data Wired Kim Zetter At the height of the presidential primary season, a Wired article tells the story of data aggregator Aristotle, which for nearly twenty years has been combining voter registration data with information from other sources to provide highly detailed voter lists to campaign strategists.
1/12/2008 Proposed Mass. Privacy Laws Too Costly, Businesses Say The Boston Globe Ross Kerber New privacy laws proposed in Massachusetts by the Deval Patrick administration and designed to protect consumers from compromised personal and credit data drew sharp criticism from business groups.
1/12/2008 Proposed Mass. Privacy Laws Too Costly, Businesses Say The Boston Globe Ross Kerber New privacy laws proposed in Massachusetts by the Deval Patrick administration and designed to protect consumers from compromised personal and credit data drew sharp criticism from business groups.
1/9/2008 Consumers Not Just Getting Mad, They're Getting Even Business Week.com Catherine Holahan More privacy headaches for Sears.In the wake of a class action lawsuit for privacy violations stemming from a security flaw in its managemyhome.com Web site, Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society has charged that Sears Holdings, parent of retailers Sears and Kmart, has not sufficiently disclosed the purpose for a software application download required to join its online community. 
1/9/2008 Consumers Not Just Getting Mad, They're Getting Even Business Week.com Catherine Holahan More privacy headaches for Sears.In the wake of a class action lawsuit for privacy violations stemming from a security flaw in its managemyhome.com Web site, Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society has charged that Sears Holdings, parent of retailers Sears and Kmart, has not sufficiently disclosed the purpose for a software application download required to join its online community. 
12/18/2007 FTC Settles Complaint With Online Seller Of Telephone Records  PC World Grant Gross The FTC has settled a complaint with CEO Group, which does business as Check Em Out. The settlement bars the company and its operator, Scott Joseph, from marketing or selling telephone records.
12/18/2007 FTC Settles Complaint With Online Seller Of Telephone Records  PC World Grant Gross The FTC has settled a complaint with CEO Group, which does business as Check Em Out. The settlement bars the company and its operator, Scott Joseph, from marketing or selling telephone records.
10/16/2007 Verizon letter on privacy stirs debate Cnet News.com Laura Holson A recent letter sent by Verizon Wireless notifying customers that it plans to share information from their calling records with its "affiliates, agents and parent companies" has stirred privacy concerns.
10/10/2007 FTC Sues to Stop Spam Touting Bogus Weight Loss and Anti-Aging Products Information Week Thomas Claburn The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a complaint in Illinois against companies and individuals in Australia, Canada and the U.S. allegedly responsible for sending spam touting weight loss and anti-aging products. 
10/5/2007 Managing Data for Privacy and Security destinationCRM.com Scott Schumacher Scott Schumaker, Chief Scientist at Initiate Systems, explores in this CRM.com "viewpoint" piece how customer data integration (CDI) solutions allow companies to most effectively use their customer data while securing and managing information to achieve compliance with privacy and security laws and best practices. 
9/7/2007 Calif. Data Protection Bill Moves Forward Information Week K.C. Jones A bill that would require retailers to adopt key aspects of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is headed back to the Assembly after passage by the California Senate. The bill also would provide notice to consumers after retail security breaches involving credit or debit card numbers.
8/12/2007 CONSUMER CONFIDENTIAL - An advocate for readers, a name you can trust Los Angeles Times David Lazarus Telecoms that bundle their voice, video and Internet services are in the position to know and collect a vast amount of data about their customers
8/9/2007 United States: New Minnesota Data Retention Law Creates Potential Liability For Merchants Mondaq John Nicholson and Meighan E. O'Reardon The Minnesota Legislature has enacted the Plastic Card Security Act, which prohibits any merchants conducting business in the state from retaining credit or debit card security data after the transaction.
7/31/2007 FTC Looks at Use of SSNs by Businesses PC World Tom Spring This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began soliciting comments from businesses, law enforcement, consumer reporting agencies, academics and consumer advocates on private-sector use of Social Security Numbers (SSNs). 
7/25/2007 Yahoo Yodels New Privacy Tune E-Commerce News Walaika Haskins Following the lead of Ask.com and Microsoft, Yahoo has announced that it will revise its approach to retaining users' search data. The company said it plans to anonymize search histories after 13 months, rather than the 18-month timeframe recently rolled out by its major competitors. 
7/6/2007 Minnesota on track to secure card data DMNews Joseph Sanscrainte Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a bill in May that is the first of its kind in the nation to enact a part of the credit card industry's data security standards into law. The Minnesota law requires that any business in that state that accepts payment via credit or debit cards must not retain the card's security code information, the PIN verification code number or the card's track data after the transaction has been authorized. 
12/29/2006 New law targets unwanted faxes TribStar.com Howard Greninger Indiana businesses and residents have a new Do-Not-Fax law at their disposal that allows them to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office if someone they do not have a prior business relationship with sends them an unsolicited advertising fax. 
6/6/1977 Behavioral Icon Appears in Political Ads ClickZ Kate Kaye The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) says that more companies are adhering to its self-regulatory program for behavioral targeting.
 
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