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Advertising May Soon Follow You From One Device To the Next

Posted by timothy on from the for-that-twilight-zone-feeling dept.

moon_unit2 writes "We're all familiar with ads that seem to follow you around as you go from one website to another. A startup called Drawbridge has developed technology that could let those ads follow you even when you pick up a smartphone or tablet. The company, founded by an ex-Google scientist, employs statistical methods to try to match and identify users on different devices. The idea is that this will preserve privacy while making mobile ads more lucrative, although some experts aren't convinced that the data will be truly anonymous."

6 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. good call by Trepidity · · Score: 3, Insightful

    some experts aren't convinced that the data will be truly anonymous

    You don't say? In particular, note the complete lack of incentives for the company to actually care how good its anonymizing is.

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  2. Re:Another Ripoff Article... by CanHasDIY · · Score: 4, Insightful

    http://slashdot.org/firehose.pl?op=view&type=submission&id=2387715 Seriously?

    You... don't understand how the firehose works, do you?

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    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  3. Even more invasive by meerling · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In their continuing quest to impose their marketing scum on every aspect and moment of your life, they are now taking yet another step in their bid to become omnipresent and unavoidable.

    It's getting to the point where these marketing invasions need to have serious and painful repercussions to those creating or employing them.

  4. Re:Two words: by ickleberry · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Used to be a bit of a google fanboy myself. Now I realise they are no better than the rest and are also hell bent on world domination like Microsoft.

  5. I'm sure it does, already by DogDude · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm sure that advertises follows people across devices, already. Most people I know are either logged into Google or Apple at home, at work, and on all of their gadgets. Of course, they're already being tracked.

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  6. Google account by Tony+Isaac · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What's the first thing you do when you set up a new Android phone? Log in to your Google account.
    You probably search for things on Google using your Google account.
    If you use Chrome, you probably log in with your Google account.
    Who is the biggest Internet advertiser?

    It already doesn't matter what device you are using.