Think your browsing is being tracked too heavily on the web? Online advertising trade groups have released new guidelines that are aimed to give consumers a little breathing room.
No word yet if these "self-regulatory principles for online behavioral advertising," as they're called, will represent meaningful regulation or not.
The alternative is too frightening for the online advertising industry to consider. Just look at the European model, where there are very heavy-handed privacy regulations from the EU. In the United States, we're more laissez-faire about the whole issue…and the industry wants to keep it that way.
What's also going on behind the scenes is that online advertisers are trying to avoid federal regulation by proposing their own self-regulatory policies.
This is all about you having control of information and privacy. Clark is hopeful it can be done without government intervention. In reality though, the industry wouldn't be doing this at all if they weren't in fear of what President Obama will do to them if they don't act.
Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.
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What others are saying
RE: Internet 2
Of course we'll move past the current infrastructure. When the web began, it was only html pages. Now there's flash, silverlight, and a slew of other ways to leverage the internet. The IPhone is actually a good example of moving past the current infrastructure with its apps. Pros are extensive. Cons are mostly compatibility issues (ie. you have to have flash installed).
Internet 2?
Clark, will the public at large ever be forced onto a new internet? I've always heard about this internet 2 thing by conspiracy buffs like Alex Jones among others, and I did some research and see it's a system or network that colleges and universities use to transfer info. I know the internet system we use now is drastically changing, but will we ever go onto a completely new, infrastructure if this is the right word? And if so, what are the pros and cons?
