July 2010 Newsletter

The world of online privacy could be changing. Congress has released a draft of a privacy bill aimed at defining broad new regulations for the data collection practices of online advertising. This would require sites to offer easier methods of letting users prevent their behavior from being tracked online, warn users about data collection. So what does this mean for the average consumer and business owner? Here are a few issues that may affect consumer privacy and online advertising:

• “opt-out” vs. “opt-in”: This issue deals with allowing users to agree to have their online behavior data collected, or should sites legally be allowed to track their behavior by default, with an option to stop that collection upon request.
• Personal Info: Companies that collect personally identifiable data will be required to disclose their practices, including details on how consumer data are collected, used and shared. They’ll also need to gain consumer consent before capturing more sensitive information, such as data from medical records, Social Security numbers, financial accounts and sexual orientation.
• New rules: Websites that use third-party services, such as advertising networks and data collectors, that track consumer behavior and IP addresses in order to help publishers deliver more targeted advertising. Sites using these services will need to give consumers clear directions on how to opt out of tracking and targeting.

Some say change is for the better. We will just have to wait and see when it comes to online privacy. The good news for our sponsors is that we’re not just throwing your ads up on a series of websites and hope something sticks in the minds of web users. With our discussion forum integration we help your develop relationships with specific users in specific markets and have one-on-one conversations with your target market. So, the new privacy legislation will not have any effect on your sponsorship with us, period. We go far beyond the banner ad to help you specific target and track your campaigns. Here’s a few articles on the subject if you’re interested in reading further:

Madison Avenue pushing for privacy online

New “Eye” on its way to show web users how they were targeted for ads

Advertising agencies sound off against new privacy policy

The following article is a bit off topic for this month’s newsletter, but it’s a worthy read for any current sponsor or if you’re considering a sponsorship with us. Tweeting for your business is very similar to posting on a discussion forum, so read away:

Consumers say: “In tweets we trust”