This is beyond onerous. You’d have to be an insane person (or writing a book about this) to go through that level of pain. And that is deliberate. There may be technical reasons why all of these companies can’t use the same opt out cookie, but the real reason is that nobody wants you to do it. They make twice as much money from delivering targeted ads than non-targeted ones. And the market for profile data that can be used for things other than advertising has barely been tapped.
There are a few other rather sizable problems with opting out of tracking. One is that, because the opt out mechanism relies on a third-party cookie, if you happen to clear out those cookies, you’ve essentially opted back in to tracking.
The other problem: Opting out of tracking is not the same as opting out of data collection. These companies will continue to hoover up data about you and your Web habits, they just won’t use it to send you targeted ads. What is less clear is whether these firms can collect profile data and use it for purposes other than advertising. That’s where the rubber really meets the road. I’ve been seeking an answer to that question, but I haven’t gotten one yet.
So, to summarize: Opting out is not a solution. Yet it is the only solution Web trackers are putting on the table. What’s wrong with this picture? Everything.
Got a question about social media or privacy? TY4NS blogger Dan Tynan may have the answer (and if not, he’ll make something up). Visit his snarky, occasionally NSFW blog eSarcasm or follow him on Twitter: @tynanwrites. For the latest IT news, analysis and how-to’s, follow ITworld on Twitter and Facebook.
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