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Behavioral Search & Advertising On Its Way?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the its-not-hear-already? dept.

cyberianpan writes "Imagine a world where advertisers would be able to predict your detailed behavior online. They would know when you are about to buy a song, a car, a present for your spouse — they would know virtually everything you are thinking. With the acquisition of DoubleClick, Google now has access to the cookies and subsequently browsing history of vast numbers of web users. It would be fair to say that greater than 85% of Internet users frequently come into contact with ads served by DoubleClick. Google could potentially have access to not only the majority of the world's search history but its browsing and e-commerce history as well. The company could know more about web surfers than they know about themselves."

4 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Advertising? What are these ads you speak of? by cuantar · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'll add some links! Get Adblock Plus here: http://adblockplus.org/en/ Get Filterset.G Updater here: http://www.pierceive.com/ With this pair of extensions, you won't ever see ads again, and the blacklist will update itself automagically.

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    Legalize it.
  2. Re:Advertising? What are these ads you speak of? by beckerist · · Score: 2, Informative

    The Filterset.G updater, while nice (and updated!), I've found to be much slower than the Adblock Plus filtersets you can install straight from the plugin. Since Adblock had no such updater, it was a very nice additional feature, but it's memory footprint isn't worth the extra ~5 filters a month (IMO) for AB+.

  3. It's all good by jeevesbond · · Score: 3, Informative

    All this shouldn't be too difficult to work around. Google watching my every move? Nope: I use Scroogle! Then there's Tor, it's a bit slow sometimes, but if you don't like it run your own Tor server and help the network speed up. :) There are also all the other ad/cookie blockers mentioned by others here.

    The only possibility worrying me is our government overlords demanding people give up the right to use this software in the name of anti-terrorism/anti-paedophilia. Until that time people have a choice whether they're anonymous online, which is good. The people who don't know how to remain anonymous can either read up or pay one of us IT chaps to tell them.

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    I'm going to transform myself into a mighty hawk. Either that or I'll just go and work at Dixons, haven't decided yet.
  4. Re:Advertising? What are these ads you speak of? by Beetle+B. · · Score: 2, Informative

    You guys are missing the point.

    AdBlock blocks ads. It does not block cookies. Doubleclick is still tracking you unless you refuse to allow their cookies. To handle that aspect, use CookieSafe. NoScript would perhaps also increase privacy (I've seen doubleclick scripts on sites).

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    Beetle B.