The Federal Trade Commission listened to concerns by two consumer groups this week who want the FTC to back the creation of a "do not track list" that would allow computer users to stop advertisers from gathering information about their online activities.
Online advertisers on the other hand don't want the government to intervene in their data collection practices asking for self-regulation instead and citing the fact that online advertisers also allow a wealth of free content to exist online for computer users to enjoy, which should count for something.
As a marketer, this is a tough one for me. Naturally, if I'm creating online campaigns, I want that online consumer behavior data. However, as a consumer and computer user, I don't want anyone to watch what I'm doing. It actually does feel like an invasion of privacy. In fact, it feels a little creepy.
What do you think? How should the FTC handle this issue? Does your opinion as a marketer differ from your opinion as a consumer?
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