Here’s another example why Google can’t claim to “do no evil” any longer. The CBC is reporting that Google was using Canadian’s personal health info to target them with ads:
An investigation led by Chantal Bernier, who has stepped in for outgoing privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, backed up a man’s complaints that he was seeing so-called behavioural advertisements based on his web browsing history.
After searching for information about devices to treat sleep apnea, he began to see ads for those devices as he browsed the web.
While behavioural advertising is not illegal, Canada’s privacy law does not allow consumers to be targeted based on “sensitive personal information,” including a person’s health.
So what happened with that? The privacy commissioner gave Google a call. Here’s what happened next:
Google has pledged to upgrade the system that reviews ads for compliance, increase the monitoring of ads, and provide more information to advertisers and staff about the rules.
“We’ve worked closely with the office of the privacy commissioner throughout this process and are pleased to be resolving this issue,” said a Google Canada spokeswoman in a statement.
The company, which declined an interview request, said it will implement these steps by June.
My take? Why is that companies like Google have to get caught with their metaphorical hand in the cookie jar before they do the right thing? Because of that, I say that someone needs to keep an eye on companies like Google. After all, they’re in it for the money and ads are the primary driver of making money. Privacy is merely an inconvenience to them.
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This entry was posted on January 15, 2014 at 7:23 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Canada, Google, Privacy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Google Told To Stop Ads Targeting Canadians Using Personal Health Info
Here’s another example why Google can’t claim to “do no evil” any longer. The CBC is reporting that Google was using Canadian’s personal health info to target them with ads:
An investigation led by Chantal Bernier, who has stepped in for outgoing privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, backed up a man’s complaints that he was seeing so-called behavioural advertisements based on his web browsing history.
After searching for information about devices to treat sleep apnea, he began to see ads for those devices as he browsed the web.
While behavioural advertising is not illegal, Canada’s privacy law does not allow consumers to be targeted based on “sensitive personal information,” including a person’s health.
So what happened with that? The privacy commissioner gave Google a call. Here’s what happened next:
Google has pledged to upgrade the system that reviews ads for compliance, increase the monitoring of ads, and provide more information to advertisers and staff about the rules.
“We’ve worked closely with the office of the privacy commissioner throughout this process and are pleased to be resolving this issue,” said a Google Canada spokeswoman in a statement.
The company, which declined an interview request, said it will implement these steps by June.
My take? Why is that companies like Google have to get caught with their metaphorical hand in the cookie jar before they do the right thing? Because of that, I say that someone needs to keep an eye on companies like Google. After all, they’re in it for the money and ads are the primary driver of making money. Privacy is merely an inconvenience to them.
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This entry was posted on January 15, 2014 at 7:23 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Canada, Google, Privacy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.