WEB PRIVACY: Online Ad Company Draws Fire for Tracking System
Privacy groups blasted Internet ad company DoubleClick Monday for its five privacy initiatives, saying the plans are "inadequate." The New York firm posts advertising banners on various sites and tracks its viewers. Last month, DoubleClick announced that it would begin adding consumers' names and addresses to its tracking system, "igniting a firestorm of criticism." The controversy highlights a growing concern by those seeking to protect individual's confidential information and an industry anxious to "harness the Internet's power to reach customers." DoubleClick's plans include a consumer media program to educate the public on online privacy through ads and a new site at www.privacychoices.org. But privacy groups maintain that consumers are not given enough warning about the tracking system and have no real means of avoiding participation (Chicago Tribune, 2/15).
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