Cross-Device Tracking Breaching Our Right to Privacy
Advertisers are using cross-device tracking to push targeted Ads across all our devices. Things used to be quite easy for advertisers back then when people used to own a single device. It wasn’t a challenge for advertisers to identify consumers, since most people used to own either a smartphone or a PC.
However, things got a bit challenging for them when people started owning multiple mobile devices. This makes it harder for advertisers to identify consumers.In light of this, it is obvious that the advertisers’ main agenda is to drive all their ads to all of our devices regardless of the devices you own.
As much as we want to buy products and services the instant we need them, cross-device tracking seems to be invading our privacy. If you did not know, your cookies are a good source of information forcompanies. This is so since cookies, inconveniently for us, track as well as store browsing activities that provide first-hand information about us to advertisers, including likes and interests.
Before we know it, ads are being forced into our mobile devices to motivate us to make as many purchases as possible. The good news is that you can control this infringement by using private browsing or incognito mode.
Users of multiple mobile devices and PC have been increasing significantly and advertisers and companies have figured out that cookies are no longer useful because of the fact that people are using private browsing or incognito mode. Therefore, advertisers and companies have resorted to cross-device tracking to get a clear and better view of our online browsing activities.
Concerns have been increasing about the use of cross-device tracking; most of the concerns are associated with the right to privacy. The most unpleasant characteristic of cross-device tracking is that most internet users have no idea of its existence along with its abilities. It’s quite annoying to know that advertisers are more concerned with the ‘money’ than the fact that they are violating internet users’ privacy.
The Director at the Federal Trade Commission, Jessica Rich specified the need to deliberate on cross-device tracking. She noted that consumers are accessing the internet in several ways and as a result the industry has emerged with more tools to track consumers’ online behavior. She also maintained that consumers’ privacy should be safeguarded as advertisers (businesses) aim to push targeted ads across all of their devices.
There is still hope for consumers, because of the public comment being taken by the Federal Trade Commission. The public comment is aimed at addressing both privacy and security concerns. In addition, it will elucidate the operations of cross-device tracking. A workshop will take place on November 16 2015.
The facts are quite simple to understand. Advertisers know that they can longer get to us through our browsing cookies. Therefore, they have all intentions of exploiting cross-device tracking to the bitter end. As we wait for someone to do something about it, we have no choice but to entertain advertisers with their exasperating ads whenever we browse through our mobile devices and PC. Anyways, we still can use anonymous VPN and anonymous browsing to keep our privacy safe.
Rachael Chapman
A Complete gamer and a Tech Geek. Brings out all her thoughts and love in writing blogs on IOT, software, technology etc
