Zeroing in on targeted advertising

The research company comScore conducted an analysis of Internet companies that collect data on consumers. By examining the routes computers travel along the lines of the Internet, companies are better able to zero in on specific consumer interests. That ability to "hand pick" likely customers has generated the interest of advertisers, who obviously want to display their promotional materials only to promising purchasers.

At first this may seem like some form of invasion of privacy, but the companies gathering this data say they're not after people's names. Rather, according to Louise Story of the New York Times, these companies "connect consumer data to unique codes identifying their computers, rather than their names."

I can see how this type of advertising is probably better than seeing ads for stuff you're not even remotely interested in, but I can't help but feel I've got someone looking over my shoulder. Most of us don't like advertisements of any kind when we're surfing. And I guess I'm not alone, because Story says, "A study of California adults last year found that 85 percent thought sites should not be allowed to track their behavior around the Web to show them ads, according to the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at the University of California at Berkeley, which conducted the study." I like that AOL allows its users to opt out of some ad targeting. Google and Yahoo are using and developing policies to protect their users, as well. Bottom line for any company though is revenue, and as we know, money talks and advertisers are usually willing to speak volumes.