People do seem rather willing to give up a lot of information about themselves – including biometric data – without considering the consequences. Consider the case of Panera Bread and its loyalty program.
Sharing enough detail without being overwhelming is a difficult balance to strike, and there’s no perfect answer. But one thing is for certain: Privacy platitudes are for hacks or for those with something to hide.
In a world where people casually toss around the term “surveillance advertising” and Congress is pushing for a national privacy law, has the clock run out on self-regulation?
So, I tried using AdChoices to opt out of seeing an ad. But the experience didn’t go very well, to say the least.
I’ve heard people say that there’s a Simpsons reference for every occasion. I posit that the same could be said of “South Park.” There’s an episode from 2011 that perfectly encapsulates the debate about notice and choice.
We’re living in a new reality, and the ad industry has to accept some home truths about itself if it wants to evolve.
It’s a resolution of mine to start using the word “people” more often than the word “consumer.” People are more than just what they consume.
