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Google Wants Ads Based on Users’ History

Posted on: Friday, 13 March 2009, 12:05 CDT

Google Inc intends to use consumers’ Web history to direct them toward ads that fit their interests, but critics are calling foul in the name of privacy.

Google’s so-called “interest based” advertising is currently in testing on Google’s vast network of sites, such as YouTube.

“By making ads more relevant, and improving the connection between advertisers and our users, we can create more value for everyone,” Susan Wojcicki, Vice President of Product Management said in a Google blog post announcing the new service.

“Users get more useful ads, and these more relevant ads generate higher returns for advertisers and publishers.”

Google added that ads are “the lifeblood of the digital economy: it helps support the content and services we all enjoy for free online today.”

Previously, Google’s AdSense campaign has focused on creating ads that are linked specifically to whatever a consumer is viewing at a certain moment . For example, if one were to search for “fishing,” they would likely be met by ads related to fishing equipment and travel packages.

“There are some situations, however, where a keyword or the content of a web page simply doesn't give us enough information to serve highly relevant ads,” Google’s blog post said.

“These ads will associate categories of interest — say sports, gardening, cars, pets — with your browser, based on the types of sites you visit and the pages you view. We may then use those interest categories to show you more relevant text and display ads.”

The company said its advertisers and publisher partners have been requesting such a service for a long time.

"Advertisers are under increasing pressure to be able to tie as much marketing spend as they can to direct sales revenue," Andrew Frank, an analyst at market research firm Gartner, told Reuters.

But Google did admit that the technique raises some eyebrows in relationship to privacy.

"This is the Internet's largest search company now profiling and tracking Internet users. That shouldn't happen," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Related techniques have been attempted in the past. For example, the company NebuAd, in a deal with cable company Charter Communication, launched a pilot program to track customers.

According to Reuters, Congressman Rick Boucher, head of the telecom subcommittee of the House of Representative's Energy and Commerce, has said the issue will be a top priority this year.

These concerns raise “questions the whole online ad industry has a responsibility to answer,” said Wojcicki.

Google has created a tool called Ads Preferences Manager, which lets users view, delete, or add interest categories associated with your browser so that they can receive ads that are more interesting.

And, Wojcicki added, “you can always opt out of the advertising cookie for the AdSense partner network.”


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Source: redOrbit Staff

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