Monday, November 26, 2007

EU, MoveOn.org Target Bad Behaviorial Marketing

It looks as though behavioral marketers are walking around with a bullseye on their backs. The European Union is investigating behavioral targeting techniques such as Facebook's new Beacon program. Also, a Facebook group started by political action group MoveOn.org is protesting the practice of sharing purchase information among Facebook users.

The EU, which tends to more closely scrutinize advertising techniques and online marketing, could write new rules that would influence actions here in the States. It will probably take some time, but new rules are likely to come in the future.

MoveOn.org, which seems to be protesting just about everything these days, is right for wanting tighter rules on Facebook. Existing users shouldn't be dumped into the program unless they are alerted before hand. You can't change the end user license agreement and volunteer to share personal information without prior notice without risking consumer ire or a lawsuit. Facebook should make this policy absolutely clear when new members join, including a separate opt-in check box for Beacon. While in the end it does benefit consumers with more appropriate ads, participation should be voluntary. I'm happy to share more information, but ask first.

Source: MediaPost

Posted By John Gartner at 08:07 AM
Permanent Link: EU, MoveOn.org Target Bad Behaviorial Marketing | Comments (0)

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