The word privacy and the digital world don’t usually go hand in hand and a new report is putting out some pretty alarming statistics that require your attention.
Think along the lines of ad tech companies making a move and sharing user data such as their online activity and even their locations with a range of advertisers. On average, you can expect that to happen at least 747 times in just one single day. And we’re talking about the US alone.
As far as Europe is concerned, it’s half as much but it’s still there and cannot be ignored. This data comes to us from a group that goes by the name of Civil Liberties. And now it’s labeling the concern as one that could well be noted as the greatest privacy breach around the globe.
The report has boldly pointed fingers at leading tech giant Google, which it believes could well be accused of being the largest offender of a privacy breach. The reports mentioned how it makes use of RTB technology which enables advertisers to specifically target users of the web through their online browsing activity as well as their locations.
The Civil Liberties Group that hails from Ireland says the way user data is obtained, processed, and then passed on is definitely worth a mention and we’re talking about figures that reach out to billions a day,
To make it more clear, the report highlights the concept of real-time bidding and how it could potentially be violating your privacy without you even noticing.
Whenever you see any ad on the web, it’s quite possible that the ad was booked through automatic means recently. See, the way it really works is you visit a website relating to travel through the help of Google.
The fact that you visited the site tells Google how you’re keenly interested in it. Now, Google being a leader in the tech world has the right to put ad space on that site for sale. And before you know it, your IP address is sent out to determine your location.
Therefore, Google can boldly announce that through its research, at least 10,000 people hailing from so and so location are interested in traveling. Now Google will ask for a figure about how much they’re willing to pay for ads being displayed to such users.
Those advertising agencies that are interested in the deal will already be on their way to securing a great offer, stating amounts they’re flexible with, keeping in mind target groups. Those offering the highest bid are selected and can now display the ad.
Now we bet you’re thinking what’s the issue? Well, even though these ad agencies have no clue about your identity, they’re definitely well on their way to getting information through your specific browsers. And remember, these are going to reveal a lot more details than just a simple location or website detail.
It’s no wonder why we saw an alarming report being published in 2019 relating to great privacy concerns surrounding cookies and how they manage to extract a lot of useful information from a plethora of websites.
This information can well be used to make profiles and that is definitely a major form of illegal behavior as stated in so many countries’ laws.
Therefore, that is why the report is delineated how unfair of a practice this is becoming and it needs to stop as the manner is intrusive and highly wrong. Moreover, the fact that subjects aren’t even informed beforehand is a point worth major consideration.
To be more specific, the report sheds light upon how so many firms were collecting data of a particular category, and that in itself requires specific consent. We’re talking along the lines of gender, religion, political views, or even their health status.
Yes, your name is not attached to any of this but still, you could well be aligned with a profile that represents who you are as a person.
Another question that many ask is who is responsible for sharing all of these details? Well, the report claims both Google and Microsoft could be classified as key players in the market. But it also says that it couldn’t manage to measure out the RTB stats for giants like Amazon or social media platforms like Facebook.
The fact that these stats are most likely an estimate of the bigger RTB picture means the problem could be much bigger than we’re actually thinking it could be. But with nearly 5000 firms getting user data without their consent through search engine giants like Google is going to be a hard pill for many to swallow.
Meanwhile, seeing Microsoft follow in Google’s footsteps with data being given to nearly 1650 companies is another point worth pondering upon.
Read next: Shocking Percentage of Major Sites Use Key Loggers to Monitor Typing Before Form Submission
Think along the lines of ad tech companies making a move and sharing user data such as their online activity and even their locations with a range of advertisers. On average, you can expect that to happen at least 747 times in just one single day. And we’re talking about the US alone.
As far as Europe is concerned, it’s half as much but it’s still there and cannot be ignored. This data comes to us from a group that goes by the name of Civil Liberties. And now it’s labeling the concern as one that could well be noted as the greatest privacy breach around the globe.
The report has boldly pointed fingers at leading tech giant Google, which it believes could well be accused of being the largest offender of a privacy breach. The reports mentioned how it makes use of RTB technology which enables advertisers to specifically target users of the web through their online browsing activity as well as their locations.
The Civil Liberties Group that hails from Ireland says the way user data is obtained, processed, and then passed on is definitely worth a mention and we’re talking about figures that reach out to billions a day,
To make it more clear, the report highlights the concept of real-time bidding and how it could potentially be violating your privacy without you even noticing.
Whenever you see any ad on the web, it’s quite possible that the ad was booked through automatic means recently. See, the way it really works is you visit a website relating to travel through the help of Google.
The fact that you visited the site tells Google how you’re keenly interested in it. Now, Google being a leader in the tech world has the right to put ad space on that site for sale. And before you know it, your IP address is sent out to determine your location.
Therefore, Google can boldly announce that through its research, at least 10,000 people hailing from so and so location are interested in traveling. Now Google will ask for a figure about how much they’re willing to pay for ads being displayed to such users.
Those advertising agencies that are interested in the deal will already be on their way to securing a great offer, stating amounts they’re flexible with, keeping in mind target groups. Those offering the highest bid are selected and can now display the ad.
Now we bet you’re thinking what’s the issue? Well, even though these ad agencies have no clue about your identity, they’re definitely well on their way to getting information through your specific browsers. And remember, these are going to reveal a lot more details than just a simple location or website detail.
It’s no wonder why we saw an alarming report being published in 2019 relating to great privacy concerns surrounding cookies and how they manage to extract a lot of useful information from a plethora of websites.
This information can well be used to make profiles and that is definitely a major form of illegal behavior as stated in so many countries’ laws.
Therefore, that is why the report is delineated how unfair of a practice this is becoming and it needs to stop as the manner is intrusive and highly wrong. Moreover, the fact that subjects aren’t even informed beforehand is a point worth major consideration.
To be more specific, the report sheds light upon how so many firms were collecting data of a particular category, and that in itself requires specific consent. We’re talking along the lines of gender, religion, political views, or even their health status.
Yes, your name is not attached to any of this but still, you could well be aligned with a profile that represents who you are as a person.
Another question that many ask is who is responsible for sharing all of these details? Well, the report claims both Google and Microsoft could be classified as key players in the market. But it also says that it couldn’t manage to measure out the RTB stats for giants like Amazon or social media platforms like Facebook.
The fact that these stats are most likely an estimate of the bigger RTB picture means the problem could be much bigger than we’re actually thinking it could be. But with nearly 5000 firms getting user data without their consent through search engine giants like Google is going to be a hard pill for many to swallow.
Meanwhile, seeing Microsoft follow in Google’s footsteps with data being given to nearly 1650 companies is another point worth pondering upon.
Read next: Shocking Percentage of Major Sites Use Key Loggers to Monitor Typing Before Form Submission
