The vast majority of U.S. residents are concerned about online tracking and ad targeting, according to a new Zogby International poll commissioned by telecom consultant Scott Cleland.
Eighty percent of the 2,111 adults surveyed this month by Zogby said they were concerned about companies "recording their online habits and using the data to generate profit through advertising,"
according to a summary of the results. More than half of that group reported they were "very concerned" by the practice, while the rest simply said they were "concerned."
What's more, 88% of
respondents said they believed that tracking Internet users without their permission is an unfair business practice. Almost as many -- 79% -- said they supported a "do not track" list, similar to
the do-not-call registry.
At the same time, less than half of the respondents -- 49% -- said they want the government do more to protect privacy online.
Last year, researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication and the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law also reported that consumers object to online behavioral targeting. The Annenberg/Berkeley research,
based on a poll of 1,000 Web users, found that 66% of respondents rejected the idea of tailored ads. That study also found that a majority of Web users -- 57% -- said they didn't want tailored news
stories, while 49% rejected customized discounts.
Cleland, who consults for telecoms and cable companies, is known for publishing reports critical of Google.