Race On To Fingerprint Phones, PCs

theodp writes "Advertisers no longer want to just buy ads, reports the WSJ. They want to buy access to specific people. In response, the race is on develop digital fingerprint technology to identify how we use our computers, mobile devices and TV set-top boxes. Start-up BlueCava, an anti-piracy company spinoff, is building a 'credit bureau for devices' in which every computer or cellphone will have a 'reputation' based on its user's online behavior, shopping habits and demographics. By the end of next year, BlueCava says it expects to have cataloged one billion of the world's estimated 10 billion devices, and plans to sell this information to advertisers willing to pay top dollar for granular data about people's interests and activities. It's 'the next generation of online advertising,' said Blue Cava's David Norris. As controversy grows over intrusive online tracking, regulators are looking to rein it in — the FTC is expected to release a privacy report Wednesday calling for a 'do-not-track' tool for Web browsers."

Comments

Looks like it's time to:

[phyrexianshaw.ca]

put together a company that rents out devices.

"monthly/weekly/daily device rentals, just pay your cell phone bill on time and we'll ship you a used device every month! just hang onto your SIM/SD card and we'll default the device/let somebody else use the 'fingerprinted hardware'"

Re:Looks like it's time to:

[silverglade00]

NO! That lets them know it is okay and that we have to work around it. They need to stay out of our business. This needs to be illegal immediately. This is way over the line. I never gave them permission to track me. Bluecava needs to be shut down.

Terminology

[HTH NE1]

When one person does it to another, it's called stalking. When a corporation does it to everyone it's called marketing.