HelenaP
June 24th, 2008, 02:09 PM
ISP Backs off of Behavioral Ad Plan
Grant Gross, IDG News Service 23 minutes ago
Charter Communications, one of the largest providers of cable-based broadband service in the U.S., has backed off of a plan to insert advertisements onto Web pages based on its users' Web-surfing habits after privacy advocates called the program an "attack on users."
Charter said Tuesday it has suspended a pilot program to use NebuAd, a behavioral advertising vendor, to track its users' Web-surfing habits and deliver advertising based on that information. Charter's decision comes less than a week after two digital rights groups, Public Knowledge and Free Press, accused NebuAd and participating broadband service providers of using security exploits to spy on users.
Charter's original focus groups on the targeted advertising suggested most customers would "look upon this service favorably," Charter said in a statement. However, since then, customers have raised questions and suggested improvements to the program, the company said.
Read more here... (http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20080624/tc_pcworld/147508;_ylt=AghCGzUGAJNjkFpuuhWe6LgE1vAI)
Grant Gross, IDG News Service 23 minutes ago
Charter Communications, one of the largest providers of cable-based broadband service in the U.S., has backed off of a plan to insert advertisements onto Web pages based on its users' Web-surfing habits after privacy advocates called the program an "attack on users."
Charter said Tuesday it has suspended a pilot program to use NebuAd, a behavioral advertising vendor, to track its users' Web-surfing habits and deliver advertising based on that information. Charter's decision comes less than a week after two digital rights groups, Public Knowledge and Free Press, accused NebuAd and participating broadband service providers of using security exploits to spy on users.
Charter's original focus groups on the targeted advertising suggested most customers would "look upon this service favorably," Charter said in a statement. However, since then, customers have raised questions and suggested improvements to the program, the company said.
Read more here... (http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20080624/tc_pcworld/147508;_ylt=AghCGzUGAJNjkFpuuhWe6LgE1vAI)