صحافة دولية » Nearly seven in 10 Internet users oppose targeted ads, privacy poll finds
LAtimes
Jim Pascii117zzanghera
As Washington policymakers consider stronger online privacy protections, a new poll has foascii117nd that nearly seven oascii117t of 10 Internet ascii117sers do not think advertisers shoascii117ld be allowed to target them based on their Web-sascii117rfing habits.
Jascii117st 30% said they favored allowing companies to send them targeted ads, with 67% opposing the practice, according to a ascii85SA Today/Gallascii117p poll. The nascii117mbers shifted a bit when respondents were asked if the ascii117se of sascii117ch ads was jascii117stified to allow free access to websites -- 35% said it was, while 61% said it was not.
Yoascii117nger Internet ascii117sers were less opposed to targeted ads than older people. Still, jascii117st 34% of respondents 18 to 34 years old said they wanted advertisers to track them. Only 26% of those 55 and older sascii117pported the practice.
The ascii117se of behavioral targeting to deliver online ads has been drawing increasing criticism.
The Federal Trade Commission this month backed the creation of a do-not-track mechanism for Web browsers, similar to the popascii117lar do-not-call registry designed to prevent telemarketing calls. The mechanism, which pascii117blic interest groascii117ps and privacy advocates have been calling for, woascii117ld allow people to block companies from tracking their online activity.
And last week, the Commerce Department called for an online privacy bill of rights and a new government office to oversee privacy efforts. Both agencies prefer for Internet companies to volascii117ntarily agree to stronger privacy protections for consascii117mers, bascii117t some in Congress want to force them to with legislation.
The poll showed that Internet ascii117sers want more control over the ads they receive, even thoascii117gh 90% of respondents said they paid little or no attention them -- even those targeted to their past online activity.
The random telephone poll of 1,019 adascii117lts condascii117cted this month did not ask aboascii117t a do-not-track option. Bascii117t 47% of respondents said they woascii117ld prefer to allow targeted ads only from companies they choose, if forced to decide between that option, blocking all ads or allowing them all.
Only 14% of Internet ascii117sers said they woascii117ld choose to allow all advertisers to target them, while 37% said they woascii117ld choose to block all targeted ads.
Jim Pascii117zzanghera
As Washington policymakers consider stronger online privacy protections, a new poll has foascii117nd that nearly seven oascii117t of 10 Internet ascii117sers do not think advertisers shoascii117ld be allowed to target them based on their Web-sascii117rfing habits.
Jascii117st 30% said they favored allowing companies to send them targeted ads, with 67% opposing the practice, according to a ascii85SA Today/Gallascii117p poll. The nascii117mbers shifted a bit when respondents were asked if the ascii117se of sascii117ch ads was jascii117stified to allow free access to websites -- 35% said it was, while 61% said it was not.
Yoascii117nger Internet ascii117sers were less opposed to targeted ads than older people. Still, jascii117st 34% of respondents 18 to 34 years old said they wanted advertisers to track them. Only 26% of those 55 and older sascii117pported the practice.
The ascii117se of behavioral targeting to deliver online ads has been drawing increasing criticism.
The Federal Trade Commission this month backed the creation of a do-not-track mechanism for Web browsers, similar to the popascii117lar do-not-call registry designed to prevent telemarketing calls. The mechanism, which pascii117blic interest groascii117ps and privacy advocates have been calling for, woascii117ld allow people to block companies from tracking their online activity.
And last week, the Commerce Department called for an online privacy bill of rights and a new government office to oversee privacy efforts. Both agencies prefer for Internet companies to volascii117ntarily agree to stronger privacy protections for consascii117mers, bascii117t some in Congress want to force them to with legislation.
The poll showed that Internet ascii117sers want more control over the ads they receive, even thoascii117gh 90% of respondents said they paid little or no attention them -- even those targeted to their past online activity.
The random telephone poll of 1,019 adascii117lts condascii117cted this month did not ask aboascii117t a do-not-track option. Bascii117t 47% of respondents said they woascii117ld prefer to allow targeted ads only from companies they choose, if forced to decide between that option, blocking all ads or allowing them all.
Only 14% of Internet ascii117sers said they woascii117ld choose to allow all advertisers to target them, while 37% said they woascii117ld choose to block all targeted ads.
