Google Adsense Calling Mork!

Google Adsense Calling Mork!   Google Adsense Calling Mork!

Amazingly, following my comment about Google Adsense on my website in yesterday’s rant about Phorm, I got a message this early morning from the mother ship (Dalek voice – “Monetize! Monetize!”).  This is the text which millions of Morks across the globe will have got…

Hello,

We’re writing to let you know about the upcoming launch of interest-based advertising, which will require you to review and make any necessary changes to your site’s privacy policies. You’ll also see some new options on your Account Settings page.

Interest-based advertising will allow advertisers to display ads based on a user’s previous interactions with them, such as visits to advertiser website and also to reach users based on their interests (e.g. “sports enthusiast”).  To develop interest categories, we will recognise the types of web pages that users visit throughout the Google content network.  As an example, if they visit a number of sports pages, we will add them to the “sports enthusiast” interest category.  To learn more about your associated account settings, please visit the AdSense Help Centre at http://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=20310&hl=en_GB.

As a result of this announcement, your privacy policy will now need to reflect the use of interest-based advertising. Please review the information at https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=100557&hl=en_GB to ensure that your site’s privacy policies are up-to-date and make any necessary changes by 8 April 2009.  Because publisher sites and laws vary across countries, we’re unfortunately unable to suggest specific privacy policy language.

For more information about interest-based advertising, you can also visit the Inside AdSense Blog at http://adsense.blogspot.com/2009/03/driving-monetization-with-ads-that.html.

We appreciate your participation and look forward to this upcoming enhancement.

Yours sincerely,

The Google AdSense Team

Email preferences: You have received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your AdSense product or account.

Google, Inc.

1600 Amphitheatre Parkway

Mountain View, CA 94043

Trace the links through and we find that the DoubleClick stuff is being expanded.  In essence, I have to tell any potential viewers of my drivel that someone else (Google), is putting a cookie that will track their future usage onto their computer.  However, you, the visitor, can sign out by going to a Google page to do so – this one.

Also, I, the webmaster can stop the collection of information by visiting this page.

Mork calling Google

And there we have it.  In essence, a lot is required from everyone to stop Google doing this.  It’s going to be ON by default!  Phorm will be the same.  How many people will do this given that most are completely ignorant about the workings of ‘computers and the internet’ given the rapid spread of easily stoppable malware?

I’m still thinking about this one.  I’m supposed to change my privacy policy.  My policy is open-ness so that anyone can say anything but I don’t like anonymity.  That usually means people have an ulterior motive…  Hmm.  Watch this space.

nanoo nanoo

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