MDC Tech

The Federal Trade Commission’s “Do Not Call Registry,” introduced in 2003, allows Americans to register their number to avoid unsolicited telemarketing. Telemarketers are fined for each instance of breaking this rule. In early December 2010, the FTC supported a “do not track” mechanism which would allow users, whether on wireless internet, wired internet, or a mobile device, to visit web sites without being monitored. Online advertisers say this could be difficult to implement and could also inhibit online commerce. Stuart Ingis, a counsel to the Digital Advertising Alliance (which includes Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo), stated that “if a broad percentage of people signed on to this, it would really undercut the Internet model.”That model may be changing faster than Ingis and others think, as DAA member Microsoft has included a new feature in its Internet Explorer 9 that will accomplish much the same thing as the FTC “do not track” option. This feature, called Tracking Protection, will allow users to block certain third-party companies from tracking their movements online. IE9 users would create a list of sites they do not want to share information.Jules Polonetsky, co-chairman and director of the Future of Privacy Forum, says that most people will likely not use the option, while others will rely on lists created by consumer advocacy groups. Online advertisers have said that such an option would be a severe blow to their industry, since such advertisers target their ads to users based on their browsing history. Users who choose to use the Tracking Protection of Internet Explorer 9 will still see ads, but they will not be targeted to the user’s interests. However, Microsoft says that online advertising will still be able to co-exist with the new feature.