Targeted Advertisement
Targeted advertisement through data mining and privacy issue.
Introduction
A computer user sits in front of a screen and starts browsing their favourite website while their child similarly does the same. While this peaceful pastime activity is being enjoyed, however, they are unaware of the hidden pathways through which every detail about them is being disclosed. Because of these pathways, there are people that can get hold of the users’ names, phone numbers, IP addresses of the computers and their households. They have access to information about any users’ income, medical history, gender and age, not to mention what they searched on search-engines and which websites the users visited. They can even learn which online shopping purchases were performed by the users on any recent website.
They, who know every detail of users, are not the Big Brothers of “1984” nor are they hackers; they are online advertisers who deliver advertisement on the Internet. The computer user is vulnerable to online advertising companies that value that specific personal data. The focus of this paper is to convince advertising companies that they should enforce regulation by providing an opt-out mechanism and practice permission based data mining in order to protect consumer’s privacy. Moreover, notifying and protecting users before distributing and taking advantage of their personal information is significant to company’s accountability and furthermore allow establishing a long term relationship with customers. I will explore the issue from consumer and also an advertiser’s perspective. As a design student who has been designed companies’ logos, it is significant to gain valuable insight from this topic. By gaining the necessary information in this issue, I can navigate the internet in a more safe and secure manner as a consumer.
Background of Data Mining
Online advertising is a growing industry that is based upon the traffic from online views. “Fifty-six of the top
Introduction
A computer user sits in front of a screen and starts browsing their favourite website while their child similarly does the same. While this peaceful pastime activity is being enjoyed, however, they are unaware of the hidden pathways through which every detail about them is being disclosed. Because of these pathways, there are people that can get hold of the users’ names, phone numbers, IP addresses of the computers and their households. They have access to information about any users’ income, medical history, gender and age, not to mention what they searched on search-engines and which websites the users visited. They can even learn which online shopping purchases were performed by the users on any recent website.
They, who know every detail of users, are not the Big Brothers of “1984” nor are they hackers; they are online advertisers who deliver advertisement on the Internet. The computer user is vulnerable to online advertising companies that value that specific personal data. The focus of this paper is to convince advertising companies that they should enforce regulation by providing an opt-out mechanism and practice permission based data mining in order to protect consumer’s privacy. Moreover, notifying and protecting users before distributing and taking advantage of their personal information is significant to company’s accountability and furthermore allow establishing a long term relationship with customers. I will explore the issue from consumer and also an advertiser’s perspective. As a design student who has been designed companies’ logos, it is significant to gain valuable insight from this topic. By gaining the necessary information in this issue, I can navigate the internet in a more safe and secure manner as a consumer.
Background of Data Mining
Online advertising is a growing industry that is based upon the traffic from online views. “Fifty-six of the top
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