NebuAd Announces (Eventual) Change to Opt-Out Mechanism

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July 8, 2008

NebuAd Announces (Eventual) Change to Opt-Out Mechanism

NebuAd, as you’ll recall, partners with ISPs to do behavioral tracking and ad targeting based on data collected by appliances ISPs install on their networks. The company rose to attention when ISP Charter started a trial of NebuAd and users learned the only way to opt out was to get a cookie set.

Cookies are a terrible way to opt out of anything. They don’t move from computer to computer, they don’t survive periodic (and recommended) flushes of personal data, and if you block them as a matter of course they can’t do any good anyhow.

So NebuAd says it is improving notifications and “developing” an alternative opt-out mechanism:

“NebuAd has developed a means to offer consumers direct, initial online notification and periodic reminders - thereby equipping users with more opportunities to make informed decisions about their web experience. While current mail and email notification practices remain the most reliable and acceptable means of ensuring consumer awareness for many companies, the ability to offer online notice adds another method of direct communication that NebuAd’s partners may find appropriate in a variety of circumstances.

“In addition to its new direct online notification system, NebuAd is also developing a network-based opt-out mechanism that is not reliant on web browser cookies. Leveraging this advanced technology, ISP partners can offer this to their subscribers in order to honor their opt-out choices in a more persistent manner than current systems widely used today.

The reminders are a good step forward. I’m curious about just what the “network-based opt-out” mechanism is, and whether its provision will be optional for ISPs. I also wonder what incentives/disincentives will be in place for ISPs to offer a better opt-out mechanism if it is, indeed, optional.

(Link)

PC World notes the excellent timing:

“Efforts to reach NebuAd CEO Bob Dykes were unsuccessful on Tuesday. Dykes is scheduled to testify Wednesday before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which will examine privacy issues around online advertising.”

Previously: