Study: Ad Networks Not Honoring Do-Not-Track

itwbennett writes "According to a new study from Stanford University's Center for Internet Society, almost half of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) members that Stanford studied left tracking cookies in place after a Web user opted out of targeted ads. NAI's executive director said that with no consensus on what do-not-track means, ad networks continue to gather data for business reasons other than providing targeted advertising. 'Under the NAI self-regulatory code, companies commit to providing an opt out to the use of online data for online behavioral advertising purposes,' Curran said. 'But the NAI code also recognizes that companies sometimes need to continue to collect data for operational reasons that are separate from ad targeting based on a user's online behavior.'"

Comments

Justification for Adblock et al

[CelticWhisper]

For those people who tried to argue against Adblock and other tools to help users control how their information is used and how their browsing experience plays out, this should take the wind out of their sails at least a little. Browser developers and advertising companies came up with a standard for not tracking the users who don't want to be tracked and the ad companies promptly turned around and fucked those users over. Why should we respect the wishes of marketers who don't want us blocking ads now?

Re:Justification for Adblock et al

[maxume]

There is no need to justify Adblock or the like, an http request is just a request for some information, it is not a promise to treat that information in a certain way.

Re:But self regulation works !!!

[jazman_777]

The government will stab you in the back. Globalist multinationals will stab you in the front. It's a two-headed monster.

Re:Slashdot Ads

[Talderas]

It's still there but even with it checked I still keep seeing slashvertisements for Bitcoin. It must be broken.

Re:well duh

[circletimessquare]

capitalism promotes maximal market function, which results in maximum financial yields. this is good. capitalism will also happily market baby organ donation and human slavery as well. this is bad

pure capitalism then is a form of evil. capitalism is a great beast. it must be harnessed and yoked and it must be controlled and it must be tightly curtailed. or it will run roughshod over your society

having said all this, noncapitalistic societies are doomed to grinding poverty. so you NEED capitalism. you just need to keep the great beast harnessed under a strong yoke

Re:But self regulation works !!!

[Attila Dimedici]

My experience has been that most new government regulation is designed to "fix" problems that were created by government regulation in the first place. When the market has been abused (almost always the result of government regulations), it results in government regulations that make the market even more susceptible to abuse.
It has gotten to bad that the current administration has the guts to call for new laws and regulations to "fix" a problem that was created by them actively not enforcing current laws and regulations (look into "Operation Fast & Furious").