Unbound Edition - Talk about Targeted Advertising

Sites across the Internet, from Facebook to Yahoo!, are mining your personal data including what you’re searching for, where you shop and what you buy. Such information, gathered from files deposited on personal computers, helps companies send you the advertisements you (might) want to see. It can also raise privacy concerns – especially when your purchasing information is shared with your Facebook friends.

Last week, Facebook scaled back its Beacon application, a tool that allows commercial websites to mine data on Facebook users’ online activity and send alerts to their friends’ news feeds (e.g. Bobby just bought tickets to see Enchanted, Maria just looked up a recipe for lasagna at Epicurious). The news feed then includes a link to the company, with the hopes of generating additional traffic.

Prior to last Thursday, Facebook users were given opportunities to opt out of the service, but were not required to actively agree to participate, causing the company to come under fire when users realized their purchasing information inadvertently was being shared with others. Now, Facebook has promised to offer better notifications.

What do you think? Is behavioral targeting a brilliant marketing tactic, infringing on Internet privacy or just plain creepy?

I got Fandango'd...
written by E.R., December 04, 2007 07:40 PM

Ah, Facebook... when I bought tickets to "Michael Clayton" and was hit with a pop-up window asking me to "share that Eric had bought tickets to Michael Clayton on Fandango," I promptly vowed never to use Fandango again. As for you, Facebook, tread lightly and remember the fate of Friendster (R.I.P.).

Facebook is lacking that snappy Google slogan: "Do no evil." And of course, there's the little cash influx from Microsoft.

Be warned: Facebook prefers beg for forgiveness vs. ask for permission. I hear there's a round table spot available at the upcoming NSA & AT&T think tank session...

E.