Interest-Based Advertising – Privacy Infringement?

On it’s official Adwords blog Google has announced Interest-based ads, a new advetising model that serves ads based on what a user has previously viewed in their browser. 

This, according to Google will allow them to serve better targeted ads to users of their network including YouTube.  But how does this fair in terms of privacy concerns? 

Google has officially stated it’s plan to combat the privacy issues arising from such advertising model by allowing users to opt out of such model.  This can be done by installing a browser “plugin” that controls whether or not internet users wants to participate in such a programme, but is this enough?

Not according to many webmasters who feel that Google’s new interest-based ad model, while in alignment with their objective of increasing click through rates of their ads, is a huge blow to online privacy efforts.

I for one feel that Google is right in trying to maximise returns from it’s cash cow (Adwords) and the introduction of interest based ads will do just that.  However, the idea that you would need to download a plugin and clear your browser cache in order to safeguard your privacy disqualifies many non-techie internet users who will be unable to understand how to do this let alone even know what a “plugin” is. 

Will interest-based ads succeed? Sure they will.  Will Google fair well out of all of this?  Sure it will.  Will advertisers be happy?  Definitely.  Will internet users complain?  ofcourse they won’t, that is until internet privacy becomes more of a top level priority for governments around the World.