Clue consumers into the information gathering game that marketers and publishers are playing or prepare for a serious backlash down the line. That's this afternoon's big warning from Joseph Turow,
Robert Lewis Shayon Professor, Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania. "This may well raise the cost of getting [such] information," says Turow -- but it will be worth it in the
long run. "People are going to get more disconcerted and angry," as they learn that tangible benefits -- in the form of coupons, discounts and the like -- are going to specific groups of consumers
based on tracking that they didn't even know was going on. To prevent such a backlash -- which Turow believes will come back to bite politicians, too -- he recommends a "regime of information respect
... of information reciprocity." To ensure future harmony between businesses and consumers, companies, including publishers, should let people know when, where, and how their infomation is being used.
