Digital Prank

How many of us know Google is launching a new system to watch people’s interests which posts advertisements based on that? Yes, Google is giving users the power to choose the ads they see  foraying itself into Online Behavioral Advertising. Google uses  a cookie to track users interests based on what user browse or search over Internet to display Adsense ads by assigning the users to an appropriate category. Though Google has given options for users to customize the ads they see using Ads Preferences Manager lot of people have voiced concerns across the Globe against this.

This interest-based advertising uses information about the web pages people visit to make the online ads they see more relevant. Google has made a post “Making ads more interesting” in Official Google blog thinks making ads more relevant to users it can create more value to both of the users and customers by bringing them closer. Google has even started experimenting in Youtube but has got given anything to advertisers until next month. Google has promised that it will not associate any sensitive information including race, religion, sexual orientation, health, financial categories etc  to the cookies but still raises question among the internet community and lot refused to accept too. Simon Davies, Director of Privacy International says,

"Google might well hype their targeting system as a boon to pet owners, but the reality is that the service will track just about everything you do and everything you’re interested in, no matter how personal or sensitive.

Some privacy campaigners think Google should have offered its advertising service on an opt-in rather than an opt-out basis.

"The cookie doesn’t show up any personally identifiable information so that is why we think opt-out is the right way to go," said a Google spokesman.

Even I am not quite convinced with what Google has offered to the users and quite concerned as it give Google with enormous information about every user across the Globe which are quite arguable.