Whenever we hear the word “online privacy”, we immediately think of Facebook. They have certainly borne the brunt of the consumer push-back and backlash on privacy issues. And for the most part, the heat is deserved and legitimate. But it’s also a movement of convenience…
Anyone who has any experience with the culture of online advertising in the media world knows the frightening realities of what goes on with every click. The regulation is years behind the activity, leaving the online advertising industry largely unregulated. Companies know way more about all of us than we could ever imagine. Facebook is an easy target because we can clearly see the results of their privacy stance (eg Facebook Places, default privacy settings). But with online advertisers, all the data mining and tracking goes on behind the scenes. 99% of people don’t even know 99% of what is even possible, much less what’s being done.
It’s a scary situation that will only get worse, at least in the short-term. And for now the only real defense we have is awareness. So, do some research yourself, start talking to people and let’s start bringing this issue to the table. Who’s with me?
