Google Confirms Launch Of BT Program
- by Gavin O'Malley @mp_gavin, March 11, 2009
Using technology it received last year from its $3.2 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, Google plans to begin serving behaviorally targeted ads within the next several weeks, as reported in Online Media Daily.
Preempting criticism from privacy advocates, Google has set up its new system so Web users can specify areas of interest, and decline particular ads.
"We are pleased that our launch of interest-based advertising includes innovative, consumer-friendly features to provide meaningful transparency and choice for our users," wrote Nicole Wong, Google's deputy general counsel, in a blog post on Wednesday.
To date, the search giant has served ads based on user search behavior, while it increased its tracking of user activity late last year by adding Web cookies to ad partner sites. Google rivals including Yahoo and Microsoft have already experimented with customized ads based on the surfing behavior of Web browsers.
In addition, uses can easily opt out of the targeting program--an option that both Yahoo and Microsoft offer users.
The service, according to Google, helps advertisers to reach target audiences more effectively, publishers to earn more money, and users to receive more relevant ads. Google plans to segment users along 20 categories and nearly 600 subcategories, but will not create categories for "sensitive" interests, including race, religion, sexual orientation or certain types of financial or health concerns.
What's more, the company does not plan to associate user cookies with search data, or with information from Google other various services.
Google, meanwhile, has no plans to notify users that it has gotten into the behavioral-targeting business, while the "Ads By Google" link will provide an explanation of the technology.
This is ALL completely irrelavent when the ADS done are NOT following laws. To see that the advertisers are NOT held accountable to their offers when click throughs occur regarding signing up with their partners and then the deal is a total bait and switch. Unless there is control of illegal offers through these sites, then anyone with a brain will not trust any advertiser trying to do strong online marketing. The reputation of these ads is parelleling automotive. I had 3 instances this week alone where it was completely illegal what they did. Therefore, people ARE not going to trust, spend and purchase unless online advertising follows the rules like traditional. Not to mention, giving out your personal information? Who do they sell it too? As a Ad Agency, if I can't trust to be a consumer, why would I ever trust to recommend this platform. While it seems all good and fine, at the end of the day, it isn't. I will post the fraudelent ads that occurred. If they don't fix this NOW, then this medium as far as many people are concerned will NOT be used for advertising but social only.