Do not track registry is a bad idea
Several privacy groups made a proposal to the FTC yesterday that they create a "Do not Track" registry, similar to the successful FTC "Do not Call" registry started 4 years ago. The idea would be that consumers would register with some database and that advertisers would have to check that list and not track someone if they were on it.
I can see why people would think that this is a good idea.
I think that it's a really bad idea. For three reasons:
- The technology really isn't there to do this. It would require browser mods which would be one more thing that might break
- It leads to backward-thinking design. We are starting to deemphasize the browser now, in favor of tightly integrated software. Cell phones use mini browsers as do XBox3s. They would all have to support the mod or the scheme would break.
- Most importantly, it is actually anti-privacy. The only way that this would work would be for everyone to use a fixed number of registered pseudonyms, or IP addresses or both. I don't want a central repository with that information available to advertisers, the government or indeed anyone.
This is a bad, bad idea. A much better one would be to levy a serious fine on each case of privacy abuse by a marketing company. Sure let Double Click collect the info, but if they screw up, fine their ass. With an average screwup affecting maybe 10-30 million people, hit them with $10 per violation and the accumulated money might teach them a better lesson.
Why has the world gotten so screwed up that consumers have to enter their information into "Donot" lists to avoid having bad things happen to them?
How about a "Do not Rob me" list? if you're not on it, then you can be mugged.
Posted on November 01, 2007
