Comments on: The SHOCKING Truth Behind The FTC “Town Hall” on Mobile Marketing (Pt. I) http://mobilestance.com/2008/05/09/the-shocking-truth-the-ftcs-town-hall-on-mobile-marketing-pt-i/ mobile marketing perspectives and analysis Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:42:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: jamie wells http://mobilestance.com/2008/05/09/the-shocking-truth-the-ftcs-town-hall-on-mobile-marketing-pt-i/#comment-608 jamie wells Sun, 11 May 2008 00:12:43 +0000 http://mobilestance.com/2008/05/09/the-shocking-truth-the-ftcs-town-hall-on-mobile-marketing-pt-i/#comment-608 Jeff, I appreciate your comments but in my view your position is entirely without merit. Collecting and analyzing data (whether anonymous or otherwise) on website visitor habits is not an "unreasonable search," as site visitors understand that the "free content" they enjoy comes at a price, and that price is advertising - and in the digital age advertising is optimized by a variety targeting strategies. Users are free to consult with a site's privacy policy if they wish to learn the specifics of these strategies, and can choose to "opt-out" by not visiting said site. In my view sites should not be required to "ask permission" before engaging in traffic analysis, anymore than grocery stores are required to "ask permission" to analyze purchase habits as logged on a "shopper loyalty" card. This is the price of admission, as clearly laid out to the consumer in the privacy policies and / or terms and conditions of both services. Respectfully, I suspect that your November 2006 behavioral targeting submission is also an entirely specious effort. As for MoPhap, I have no explanation as to why that page you cite is still live, but rest assured they have re-branded as Ringleader Digital. You can find the announcement here: http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/2/mophap_becomes_ringleader_digital_raises_6_million. Thanks again for taking the time to leave a comment with us. Jamie Jeff,

I appreciate your comments but in my view your position is entirely without merit. Collecting and analyzing data (whether anonymous or otherwise) on website visitor habits is not an “unreasonable search,” as site visitors understand that the “free content” they enjoy comes at a price, and that price is advertising - and in the digital age advertising is optimized by a variety targeting strategies. Users are free to consult with a site’s privacy policy if they wish to learn the specifics of these strategies, and can choose to “opt-out” by not visiting said site.

In my view sites should not be required to “ask permission” before engaging in traffic analysis, anymore than grocery stores are required to “ask permission” to analyze purchase habits as logged on a “shopper loyalty” card. This is the price of admission, as clearly laid out to the consumer in the privacy policies and / or terms and conditions of both services.

Respectfully, I suspect that your November 2006 behavioral targeting submission is also an entirely specious effort.

As for MoPhap, I have no explanation as to why that page you cite is still live, but rest assured they have re-branded as Ringleader Digital. You can find the announcement here: http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/2/mophap_becomes_ringleader_digital_raises_6_million.

Thanks again for taking the time to leave a comment with us.

Jamie

]]> By: Jeff Chester http://mobilestance.com/2008/05/09/the-shocking-truth-the-ftcs-town-hall-on-mobile-marketing-pt-i/#comment-601 Jeff Chester Sat, 10 May 2008 19:01:44 +0000 http://mobilestance.com/2008/05/09/the-shocking-truth-the-ftcs-town-hall-on-mobile-marketing-pt-i/#comment-601 Neither the FTC, nor the mobile industry, have informed the U.S. public that the range of practices that have raised privacy concerns with online marketing have been migrated to the mobile environment (but now location is added). What CDD has initially found--and which it and the USPIRG will soon file at the FTC via an amended complaint to our behavioral targeting submission of November 2006--is very disturbing. Users deserve to know what data about their mobile behaviors is being collected, analyzed, and used. No such data should be collected without affirmative opt-in after reasonable disclosure. Special safeguards are required for children and adolescents as well (health and financial information also must be safeguarded). I am a big believer in the mobile market--it will become an essential way of living our lives very soon in the U.S.. We should structure the market to help preserve privacy, consumer autonomy, foster democratic expression and also promote the commercial sector. It just can't be a one-way toll call on the go reflecting what some in the industry desire. This blog may mock what I said about impulse buying and the current financial crisis, but it appears to be a self-serving rejoinder to criticism about the larger societal issues. The mobile industry must show corporate responsibility related to data collection and targeting. By the way, Mophap still lists itself online:http://www.rulinkedup.com/~mophap/corpdev/about_overview.php Neither the FTC, nor the mobile industry, have informed the U.S. public that the range of practices that have raised privacy concerns with online marketing have been migrated to the mobile environment (but now location is added). What CDD has initially found–and which it and the USPIRG will soon file at the FTC via an amended complaint to our behavioral targeting submission of November 2006–is very disturbing. Users deserve to know what data about their mobile behaviors is being collected, analyzed, and used. No such data should be collected without affirmative opt-in after reasonable disclosure. Special safeguards are required for children and adolescents as well (health and financial information also must be safeguarded). I am a big believer in the mobile market–it will become an essential way of living our lives very soon in the U.S.. We should structure the market to help preserve privacy, consumer autonomy, foster democratic expression and also promote the commercial sector. It just can’t be a one-way toll call on the go reflecting what some in the industry desire.

This blog may mock what I said about impulse buying and the current financial crisis, but it appears to be a self-serving rejoinder to criticism about the larger societal issues. The mobile industry must show corporate responsibility related to data collection and targeting. By the way, Mophap still lists itself online:http://www.rulinkedup.com/~mophap/corpdev/about_overview.php

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