Why I Won't Be Signing Up for the 'Do Not Track' List
December 7, 2010 by Traci McMurray
So you looked at a pair of shoes on a popular shopping website and now those same shoes seem to be following you everywhere -- the sidebar of your email, your daily news site and that trashy celebrity blog you religiously, but secretly check on a daily basis. But, is that really a bad thing?
The Federal Trade Commission recently proposed a 'Do Not Track' tool that would allow internet users to sign up and prevent advertisers from using their browser cookies to follow them with tracked advertising. While this may seem like a good idea at first, I will not be signing up for any such list.
Online advertising is not going to go away. Aside from an ad blocker (which all have their own faults) there is no way to prevent ads because they are required for so much of the internet to function. Since those ads are going to be present no matter what, wouldn't you rather they be ads for something for which you've already shown an interest? Ads that could inform you or even give you a great deal on something you've been eyeing online?
In the past, the FTC's 'Do Not Call' registry has been a lifesaver for many of us, but online advertising isn't ringing your home or talking your ear off about buying unsolicited goods. Go ahead and surf my cookies, advertising providers - online ads are here to stay and I'd much rather see those stilettos than a fly swatting game ad any day.
How do you feel about the proposed registry? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
