Google Under Fire for Circumvention of Cookie Settings in Safari for iOS to Track Users

[kdarling]

A huge distinction I actually had no idea about. I always assumed they sold demographic information directly to advertisers.

They do in a way: they sell ads based on how well they can target the advertiser's desired audience. So they'll tell the ad customer all the categories that are possible.

Apple, especially, has some detailed information because of iTunes. I've read... but don't take as fact... that one advertiser was told iAds could target age, sex, income, app and music purchasing tastes, and even sexual orientation (apparently inferred by the music downloads).

It's a little creepy in the sense that it's so encompassing, and there no real way to escape being pegged if you don't wanna be.

Partly. As you know, Google lets you edit our core ad profile. I think, like you, there was some topic I had done a lot of searching about, but it was no longer an interest, so I removed it to prevent ads about it. I think it was car buying or something.

But it's ultimately no more sinister than everyone being a Nielsen family member.

I'm mostly okay with it... because it is handy when doing searches... as long as they don't share my personal info with the government.

The not-mostly-okay part is this: it's pretty easy for someone to come to your computer and start doing searches and find out the areas you've been searching, simply because previous personal searches can pop up unless you've taken care to delete them.

Though to play devil's advocate, the potential for abuse does make me arch my eyebrow a bit.

Absolutely. Which is why, on the other hand, we need (and have some) government laws to keep that info private.

 

[batitombo]

Safari sucks anyways

 

[farleysmaster]

As much as it sucks to feel like being an advertiser's demographic, sites like Facebook and Gmail would not otherwise exist. Who would pay for a subscription to facebook? Enough to people to make it viable?

 

[gnasher729]

Actually, the advertisers don't know anything about a person. It's Apple and Google who store information associated with an individual.

For most purposes, there is no need for any advertiser to know which person I am. But for example Amazon may adapt the prices that they show to their profile that they have of me. They don't care about who I am, just that my bank card is matched to that profile. A bank may refuse a loan to me, based on some profile, without having any idea which person I am. A profile might be used to refuse me entry to a country. Again, without knowing who I am.

But because I was looking up recipes, learning to cook, and whatnot, Google has me pegged as being a chef wannabe. So now I see these ads for recipes and cooking websites. It's like they're rubbing my failure in my face.

I once bought the first three of a series of nine books in a store, then bought the remaining six from Amazon. They still haven't forgotten and they are still convinced that I will buy the first three books as well, if they can only wear me down. I bought some kitchen appliance once. Looked at many, many different ones and bought one. Amazon, I am _not_ interested in buying any of these kitchen appliances ever again.

 

[kdarling]

I once bought the first three of a series of nine books in a store, then bought the remaining six from Amazon. They still haven't forgotten and they are still convinced that I will buy the first three books as well, if they can only wear me down. I bought some kitchen appliance once. Looked at many, many different ones and bought one. Amazon, I am _not_ interested in buying any of these kitchen appliances ever again.

Apparently this happens to everyone!

That certainly points out that it would be to everyone's benefit (including the advertisers) if whoever is collecting the info made sure that users can delete profiles that no longer fit them.

Heck, they should let you manually add longterm interests as well.

It would be a selling point, since it allows for even better targeting of people interested in buying your wares.

 

[dejo]

Looks like Google is doing it in IE as well:

Google Bypassing User Privacy Settings