How Google is Tracking Your Online Web Surfing Behavior

[Broni]

http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/how-google-is-tracking-your-online-web-surfing-behavior-and-what-its-doing-with-the-information/?awt_l=MvOQK&awt_m=1ZeB.jiIfsK295

In case you aren't aware of this, every time you visit a site that has Google Adsense on it, and every time you visit a site that uses the DoubleClick ad management system, you have the potential for being tracked via a cookie that is injected to your computer. The cookie is known as the DoubleClick DART cookie, and, in fact, there is a very good chance that you are being tracked by one of these cookies. This is so that Google and DoubleClick can serve up ads to you that are more tailored for you, based on, among other things, your web-browsing history.


"Google uses cookies to improve your online experience, including the display of more relevant ads."
Put another way, this cookie identies your computer with a unique value, and whenever the computer with that value (i.e. your computer) hits a site with the DoubleClick DART cookie, it's tracked. That way when all of the data collected by your cookie is analyzed as a whole, a picture of your browsing habits emerges. Do you spend a lot of time on Amazon and B&N.com? Perhaps you'll start seeing more ads for books. Do you spend most of your time on home improvement sites? You may see more ads for home-building and DIY companies.

Known as the DoubleClick DART cookie, Google explains that the DoubleClick DART cookie "is used by Google in the ads served on the websites of its partners, such as websites displaying AdSense ads or participating in Google certified ad networks. When users visit a partner's website and either view or click on an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user's browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help better serve and manage ads on the publisher's site(s) and across the web."

Or, as they explain on their own privacy policy page, "Google uses cookies to improve your online experience, including the display of more relevant ads."

DoubleClick explains the DoubleClick DART cookie thusly: "The DART cookie is a persistent cookie and consists of the name of the domain that set the cookie ("ad.doubleclick.net"), the lifetime of the cookie, and a "value." DoubleClick's DART technology generates a unique series of characters for the "value" portion of the cookie," adding that "If you have a DoubleClick cookie in your Cookies folder, it is most likely a DART cookie. The DoubleClick DART cookie helps marketers learn how well their Internet advertising campaigns or paid search listings perform."

Any way you slice it, or explain it, they are using the DoubleClick DART cookie to track you, and your surfing habits.

As a result, sites which publish Adsense or use the DoubleClick system are being advised by Google to include the following language in their privacy policies (and, as we ourselves do use Adsense to help cover the cost of providing The Internet Patrol to you for free, we now present you with this very language):

Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site.

Google's use of the DART cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.

You may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy here: http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html

Once you click that above link, look for this big opt-out button on the upper right-hand side of the page:



Of course, Google doesn't necessarily suggest that you put the part about opting out in bold type, or provide a clickable opt-out image, but we thought that making it easy for our readers to opt-out of the cookie tracking was a nice touch. 

[kizza1645]

I actually personally think its a good idea.....
don't you?

[BC_Programmer]

I actually personally think its a good idea.....
don't you?

why? How is it a good idea?

[Broni]

Some people like being tracked, I guess

[kizza1645]

why? How is it a good idea?

who cares anyway.... its not like it makes a difference..... google follows the law strickly and won't take any personal information....

[Broni]

Hmmmm...

[BC_Programmer]

yes kizza... Now go back to watching the shopping network. I here they have a handy appliance that can scramble an egg while it's still inside it's shell.

[kizza1645]

yes kizza... Now go back to watching the shopping network. I here they have a handy appliance that can scramble an egg while it's still inside it's shell.

link me please

[Helpmeh]

why? How is it a good idea?

Maybe people are tired of porn ads when they only visit computer and/or gaming sites.

On my computer (I'm on my iPod) adblock blocks *doubleclick* so it doesn't matter to me. 

[BC_Programmer]

it's data harvesting without peoples explicit knowledge. this would be akin to having people follow you around all day, and place ads relevant to where you've been in places your headed.

[patio]

Broni thanx for the link at the bottom...installed the FireFox addon and opted out....
Also went to the NAI site and opted out of all others.

[Caramelo]

Here's what I get when I try to opt out, even when I put my IE browser privacy settings to "accept all cookies".

[Caramelo]

Broni thanx for the link at the bottom...installed the FireFox addon and opted out....
Also went to the NAI site and opted out of all others.

Firefox add on?

[patio]

I'd switch to FireFox....that's what the plugin is for.

[Helpmeh]

it's data harvesting without peoples explicit knowledge. this would be akin to having people follow you around all day, and place ads relevant to where you've been in places your headed.

But the intent is what makes the difference. The cookie is there only to make their service better for you. Would you want ads for knives if you didn't cook, but you would like to know new computer prices (if you were actually interested in google ads)?

[Caramelo]

Firefox add on?

I tried it on FF also with the same result.  I missed the info about the add on for FF.  Apparently I need it but I don't know where to get it or what to look for.

[kpac]

But the intent is what makes the difference. The cookie is there only to make their service better for you. Would you want ads for knives if you didn't cook, but you would like to know new computer prices (if you were actually interested in google ads)?

The ads are only good for one bunch of people - webmasters. I think they should have left them they way they were, where the ads were chosen based on the content of the page they were shown on.

[BC_Programmer]

“The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.”

“*censored* isn't merely paved with good intentions, it is walled and roofed with them”


“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.”

“It is difficult to say who do you the most harm: enemies with the worst intentions or friends with the best”

“Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.”

Intent is irrelevant.

[patio]

Well put...

[Helpmeh]

Thanks for shooting me down in flames BC.
But I guess the ads could be beneficial if they were dependant on the content of the page...Who would visit a page (on purpose) if they didn't like the content?

[Aegis]

It's like Amazon.com - the old joke, especially since the former worker who wrote a play about the amazon corporate culture, is:  "We're not a warehouse, we 'preference aggregators.'"  So, the concept that drives all this, which I know everyone knows, is the advertising revenue that's supposed to pay for all this "free" stuff.

So, Google also aggregates your preferences, and presents ads to you.  Like Helpmeh says, I can see where it might be beneficial to receive ads about products and services in which you are interested.  I don't believe he's unaware of the other side of that coin.

[soybean]

But the intent is what makes the difference. The cookie is there only to make their service better for you. Would you want ads for knives if you didn't cook, but you would like to know new computer prices (if you were actually interested in google ads)?

Helpmeh, I, for one, agree with you.  Marketers have been using techniques for eons to target advertising to consumers based on demographics.  Before the Internet, techniques such as surverys and questionnaires were used, and still are.  But, the Internet obviously provides a new way of doing this, a way that is much faster and probably much more precise. 

This is just part of capitalism.  The Internet has become a major factor in the economies of developed countries.  To thwart Internet marketers from using the Internet for targeted advertising is to oppose economic growth and creation of jobs, which is something badly needed in these trying economic times.

[Mulreay]

But the intent is what makes the difference. The cookie is there only to make their service better for you. Would you want ads for knives if you didn't cook, but you would like to know new computer prices (if you were actually interested in google ads)?

Or you could argue if I want something I'll look for it myself.

[BC_Programmer]

Helpmeh, I, for one, agree with you.  Marketers have been using techniques for eons to target advertising to consumers based on demographics.  Before the Internet, techniques such as surverys and questionnaires were used, and still are.  But, the Internet obviously provides a new way of doing this, a way that is much faster and probably much more precise. 

This is just part of capitalism.  The Internet has become a major factor in the economies of developed countries.  To thwart Internet marketers from using the Internet for targeted advertising is to oppose economic growth and creation of jobs, which is something badly needed in these trying economic times.

OK, you guys so sign up for a bunch of spam lists then...

[Helpmeh]

OK, you guys so sign up for a bunch of spam lists then...

What harm could befall from advertising that relates to your browsing? (rhetorical question)

[BC_Programmer]

It's harvesting your data.

If they will sell this data to advertising companies, they can easily sell it to some other companies, etc etc and on down the ladder. eventually it ends up on innumerable spam lists.

[Helpmeh]

It's harvesting your data.

If they will sell this data to advertising companies, they can easily sell it to some other companies, etc etc and on down the ladder. eventually it ends up on innumerable spam lists.

By data they mean which sites you visit the most, what those sites are about, information that would benefit adsense in choosing what ads to display.

BC, you are seriously becoming a conspiracy theorist, one of the web jerks mentioned in a thread posted recently.
Google is doing this to make their ads better for you!

[BC_Programmer]

no... dead reckon is a conspiracy theorist.

 As was said before, this is all in the name of capitalism. What's stopping them from capitalizing on the data they collected by selling it to third parties.


If people wanted to see ads there wouldn't be popup blockers or ad blockers.


More to the point- Other companies have to ASK... as in opt IN, to get this type of information. For example- Microsoft with it's Customer Experience program (sure, it nags the bejesus out of you, but it is an opt in affair).

This is akin in some ways to "EULA inside the box" conundrum. If you cannot open the box without agreeing to the EULA that is inside the box how do you know what it is your agreeing to? In a similar vein, the "opt-out" approach defaults people to receiving this "service", and chances are- they will have no knowledge of it.


additionally re: the concept of ads. I have NEVER let an advertisement sway my opinion in any way; all commercials/advertisements are trying to sell a product- they aren't going to tell you anything bad about their product.

Using an ad as a jumping off point for any purchase whatsoever is starting the shopping experience on the wrong foot; obviously it wasn't something you needed. or else you would have it already. Instead it is more or less capitalizing on some peoples innate need to have more and more posessions.

Another thing is every click on the Ad generates revenue. How? How does an Ad generate revenue? from the advertising companies buying from the hosting page. This brings to light a possible conflict of interest- what if said site explicitly recommends a competing product?

Over time as a web site gets more and more of it's income through advertising there is a thirst- even a greed- for more.

In this situation even the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Consider the previous statements which seem to imply that google will do no wrong with the data. Honestly I don't see how collection, harvesting and categorizing my browser activities, and generally watching my every move online is a good thing, but apparently some people have decided that "privacy" is a thing of the past. Basically what happens is in their thirst for more advertisements they are forced to sanitize the site of "competing" products in order to get the advertisers approval. At that point what once was harmless advertising/advert profiling has now changed the content of a site and biassed it in one way or another thus contaminating the site as a whole.

of course, if anybody says so they just call them a conspiracy theorist. Of course in that instance they obviously haven't a clue as to what exactly a conspiracy theorist is, especially in this particular case as I presented nothing that can be called a conspiracy.

[Mulreay]

I whole heartedly agree. 

Or you could argue if I want something I'll look for it myself.

[Helpmeh]

As was said before, this is all in the name of capitalism. What's stopping them from capitalizing on the data they collected by selling it to third parties.

As I've said before, the data it collects is which sites you visit. The only companies who would be interested are companies trying to acomplish the thing google ads is acomplishing. How can that information be added to spamlists?

Honestly, I have to defend google ads...I DON'T EVEN SEE GOOGLE ADS.

This makes me feel like I am defending homosexual rights at school... at the same time as assuring that I am not, even though I am defending it.

[patio]

That's a reach...

[Mulreay]

As I've said before, the data it collects is which sites you visit. The only companies who would be interested are companies trying to acomplish the thing google ads is acomplishing. How can that information be added to spamlists?

Honestly, I have to defend google ads...I DON'T EVEN SEE GOOGLE ADS.

This makes me feel like I am defending homosexual rights at school... at the same time as assuring that I am not, even though I am defending it.

The argument is not about them helping themselves when it comes to relevant advertising but an abuse of that information. How much is being taken? They say there watching our movement on the web, hang about if I go to Waterstones do I want more book adverts or if I go to HMV do I want more music adverts No I was fine looking myself. It's just the corporation making money off my movements on the web. Do they give you a list of the information taken? No they just take 'some' info of you. Talk about Big brother.

[JJ 3000]

I have NEVER let an advertisement sway my opinion in any way

Really? Never? I find that hard to believe.

[Mulreay]

Really? Never? I find that hard to believe.

Why I never do either. If I want something I buy it not after watching some naked woman dance across my screen telling me I'm half a man if I don't buy it.

[Broni]

Never say never

[BC_Programmer]

Really? Never? I find that hard to believe.

I very seldom watch television. And those adverts I do see are so ridiculously stupid... and I don't mean, like my posts, super silly but usually with some form of deep meaning or connection that gives insight into some human fioble, no sir, when I see an advert I don't take it's content into account; in fact half the time It would be a major pain just finding out what they are advertising. "say, was that commercial that was just on with the people dancing for clothes, dancing shoes or a new chevrolet?

Although I'll admit that sometimes an advertisement will remind me of something, like for example an advertisement for visual studio 2005 might make me remember to file my taxes for 2005. But really it's only far removed types of associations.


And as Broni said, "never say never"; I cannot recall any specific instance where I thought, "wow, I know this hat is really expensive, and I don't wear hats anyway, but GOSH! I saw somebody wearing it on TV!"

[Mulreay]

Never say never

True but I try not to.

[kpac]

My opinion on this is, as BC said, Google's default option on this is to give you the service, but others give you the option to have the service. Now why would they give you it first day, (without telling you) if there wasn't going to be some kind of catch. Money. That's all that's involved. Google are feeling the pain too of the economy - a few months ago they let off over 200 people.

[Helpmeh]

My opinion on this is, as BC said, Google's default option on this is to give you the service, but others give you the option to have the service. Now why would they give you it first day, (without telling you) if there wasn't going to be some kind of catch. Money. That's all that's involved. Google are feeling the pain too of the economy - a few months ago they let off over 200 people.

I get your point.