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Programmatic Has Evolved Rapidly to Track Users and Target Them for Advertisements. 

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Programmatic Has Evolved Rapidly to Track Users and Target Them for Advertisements. 

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This article tells some of the story of the rise of digital advertising. The author rightfully notes; "The global privacy challenge is one that, with technology evolving too quickly for legislation to keep up, necessitates the industry itself to lead the way in device recognition systems that ease cross-screen marketing and respect consumer privacy rights." This article refers to some of the ways laws have tried to protect user privacy but ultimately puts the burden of responsibility in the hands of the users. Users are being called upon to better understand how their information is being used in the marketplace.

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Beyond the cookie: digital advertising and privacy in the cross-screen age

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Cross-screen marketing campaigns raise important privacy questions with technology providing only part of the solution, finds Richard Qiu

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The FTC has made some guidelines as to what cookies are and how they are (currently) being used. They break down cookies into categories; single use, and multi use cookies. Single use cookies track user information on a particular site only when the user is on the site then information is discarded. This use of cookies presents less threat to user privacy. Multi use cookies are used to track users across platforms and store information for the event that a user visits a previously visited site. The multi use cookies can be used to hack users, cookie map, and target users against their will, if a user is not aware of how cookies work.

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What are cookies?

A cookie is information saved by your web browser. When you visit a website, the site may place a cookie on your web browser so it can recognize your device in the future. If you return to that site later on, it can read that cookie to remember you from your last visit and keep track of you over time.

Uses

collect information about the pages you view and your activities on the site

enable the site to recognize you, for example by:

remembering your user ID

offering an online shopping cart

keeping track of your preferences if you visit the website again

customize your browsing experience

deliver ads targeted to you

The cookie transmits this information back to the website's computer (or server). You can set your web browser to warn you about attempts to place cookies on your computer or to limit the type of cookies you allow. For more information, please see the FTC's guidance on cookies and other forms of online tracking.

Two general types

Single-Session cookies

help with navigation on the website

only record information temporarily and are erased when the user quits the session or closes the browser

are enabled by default in order to provide the smoothest navigation experience possible

are known as Tier 1 technologies under applicable government guidance

Persistent/Multi-Session cookies

remain on your computer and record information every time you visit some websites

are stored on the hard drive of your computer until you manually delete them from a browser folder, or until they expire, which can be months or years after they were placed on your computer

are used by the FTC solely to provide analysis of site use and to maintain access quality for users; capture only a unique, randomly assigned identifier for each user and do not send or receive information on non-FTC websites

are known as Tier 2 technologies under applicable government guidance

Single-Session (Tier 1) Cookies

to enable a customer satisfaction survey and store basic information about user interaction with the site

ForeSee Results

You can also provide feedback regarding www.ftc.gov or share questions or concerns by emailing webmaster@ftc.gov. Please write "ForeSee" in the subject line of the email.

complaints.donotcall.gov

to enable consumers to submit the complaint form

You can also register your complaint against a Telemarketer who has violated the Do Not Call rule by calling 1-888-382-1222.

to provide streamlined navigation and site language selection

You can also register your number with the Do Not Call list by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the number you wish to register.

www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov
to enable consumers to submit the complaint form

You can also register your complaint by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

to enable a customer satisfaction survey and store basic information about user interaction with the site

ForeSee Results

You can also provide feedback regarding www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or share questions or concerns by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

to enable redress class members to check on the status of their claim

Analytics Inc.

Epiq Systems

Gilardi & Co.
Rust Consulting
You can also check the status of a claim by calling the appropriate number listed here.

to enable consumers to submit the complaint form

You can also register your complaint by calling 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).

Persistent/Multi-Session (Tier 2) cookies

Prevents users from receiving a survey invitation if they have completed the survey in the last 30 days

ForeSee Results

You can also provide feedback regarding www.ftc.gov or share questions or concerns by emailing webmaster@ftc.gov. Please write "ForeSee" in the subject line of the email.

Provides measures of website traffic and assesses how visitors use the site, distinguishing unique users

Google, Inc. (via General Services Administration's Digital Analytics Program)

None.

www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov
Prevents users from receiving a survey invitation if they have completed the survey in the last 30 days

ForeSee Results

You can also provide feedback regarding www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or share questions or concerns by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)

Provides measures of website traffic and assesses how visitors use the site, distinguishing unique users

Google, Inc. (via General Services Administration's Digital Analytics Program)

None.

www.donotcall.gov
Prevents users from receiving a survey invitation if they have completed the survey in the last 30 days

ForeSee Results

You can also provide feedback regarding www.donotcall.gov or share questions or concerns by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)

Provides measures of website traffic and assesses how visitors use the site, distinguishing unique users

Google, Inc. (via General Services Administration's Digital Analytics Program)

None.

www.econsumer.gov
Prevents users from receiving a survey invitation if they have completed the survey in the last 30 days

ForeSee Results

You can also provide feedback regarding www.econsumer.gov or share questions or concerns by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)

Provides measures of website traffic and assesses how visitors use the site, distinguishing unique users

Google, Inc. (via General Services Administration's Digital Analytics Program)

None.

www.identitytheft.gov
Prevents users from receiving a survey invitation if they have completed the survey in the last 30 days

ForeSee Results

You can also provide feedback regarding identitytheft.gov or share questions or concerns by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)

Provides measures of website traffic and assesses how visitors use the site, distinguishing unique users

Google, Inc. (via General Services Administration's Digital Analytics Program)

None.

[event name here].videoshowcase.net

Generates a random number to identify unique visitors that view live FTC webcasts; does not collect PII

KnowledgeVision

You can watch all live FTC webcasts with your cookies disabled.

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The official website of the Federal Trade Commission, protecting America's consumers for over 100 years.

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Add Blockers are a Growing Force in the Digital Space. 

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Add Blockers are a Growing Force in the Digital Space. 

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One way users are employing to protect their privacy and limit advertiser targeting is the use of add blockers. I think that this article slightly overstates to effectiveness of add blockers. At this point I think add blockers are underdogs in the programmatic battle. Add blocker creators do not benefit from huge sums of add campaign dollars like their add producing opponents. While perhaps out gunned today, add blockers should continue to evolve to fight against the rapidly evolving digital marketers.

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Ad blockers. Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention. GDPR. Cambridge Analytica. It's now undeniable: the door is closing on unfettered user-level data and behavioral targeting, and marketers, publishers, and digital ad platforms are being forced to adapt. Yet, marketing budgets aren't going away and digital advertising should continue to thrive, albeit under a different industry mindset. Here are a few predictions on how that might look.

Contextual targeting will experience a renaissance

As the ability to behaviorally target becomes more restricted, expect contextual targeting to re-emerge, yet with a great deal of room to grow. Statically defined contextual targets such as location and content topic are relic, the stuff of magazines and broadcast television.

Every moment of every day, we all experience in-the-moment contexts that are unique to us. Next-generation contextual targeting will have to be dynamic, ready and waiting to serve relevant ads when the right contextual opportunities present themselves.

advertisement

advertisement

Social media channels like Twitter currently give marketers a way to target messages to in-the-moment contexts based on events, news, and ideas. But even the most effective social media "war rooms" require enormous manual effort. The raison d'être of programmatic advertising is to automate what once was performed manually, so be on the lookout for increasingly innovative and automated contextual targeting techniques.

Owning the customer relationship will be everything

Advertisers, publishers, and "walled gardens" own their relationships with consumers. Consumers don't want these entities out of their lives. To wit: I want a relationship with Alaska Airlines (an advertiser) because I live in Portland, Ore. I a relationship with CNN.com (a publisher) because I like reading the news. I want a relationship with Amazon (a walled garden) because I desire selection, convenience, and speed. want

These owned relationships have always been a strategic asset, and they become incrementally more valuable in a world where privacy protections make it harder to engineer faux relationships by stitching together cookie IDs inside of massive user tracking databases.

Expect advertisers, publishers, and walled gardens to innovate new ways to put their consumer relationships to work.

The classic marketing funnel will make a comeback

The classic marketing funnel never really went away, but in recent years there has been a lot of pugnacious sentiment that a narrow set of digital advertising channels (mostly search and display) could grow and sustain every brand, and that upper-funnel channels like TV and radio were a waste of money and on their way to obsolescence.

Yet, in today's environment, advertisers who want to reach the right consumers may have little choice but to reconsider the mass media channels and funnel strategies of yore. Except this time it will be different (and better). Programmatic television (OTT), audio, and digital out-of-home (DOOH) are rapidly expanding and maturing, and, more importantly, cross-channel, multi-touch attribution is getting better at tracking the performance of these "legacy" mass media channels.

Marketers will minimize over-saturation (e.g., showing the same TV commercial to a whole city) and fine-tune targeting by buying ad spots programmatically, while at the same time having unprecedented insight into what's working and what's not.

Digital advertising will emerge stronger than ever

We as an industry should be optimistic and not hopeless. These predictions only scratch the surface; there are myriad possible ways we can adapt to privacy demands. We're already cutting back advertising tactics that consumers (and now governments) tell us are at best annoying, and at worst invasive. As the digital ad ecosystem rids itself of liabilities and continues to innovate in exciting new directions, we should expect great outcomes.

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ad blockers. safari intelligent tracking prevention. gdpr. cambridge analytica. it's now undeniable: the door is closing on unfettered user-level data and behavioral targeting

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and digital ad platforms are being forced to adapt. yet

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marketing budgets aren't going away and digital advertising should continue to thrive

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How Will Digital Advertising Work Now That Privacy Is Here to Stay?

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How Will Digital Advertising Work Now That Privacy Is Here to Stay? - 06/05/2018

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This article demonstrates the public's concern as to the relationship between privacy on the web and security. Many (rightfully) are concerned that if their identity can be tracked across the web, by entities out of their control, then their sensitive information can be taken advantage of as well. This concern about user information such as credit card, social security, and identity being stolen has been present for some time. Examples of successful hackers stealing this information are plentiful, whether these cases are specifically related to cookies or not. This is another area that is simply to complex and fast moving for legislation to keep up.

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Privacy has emerged as a dominant topic of debate among digital marketers this year. Consumer watchdog groups are clamoring for new protective measures. The U.S. government, including the Federal Trade Commission, is considering regulating advertising methods and practices. Advertisers are taking proactive measures to self-regulate their behaviors in hopes of lessening any regulatory impact.

Why the commotion? What has sparked such concern? More personalized, behaviorally based advertisements.

Growth In Targeted Advertising
As traditional banner and display ads continue to decline in performance, advertisers are turning to new methods to increase ad relevancy, such as behavioral targeted ads. These ads are based much more on specific user actions, such as site history, browsing history, and buying behavior. Coupling together these known behaviors, advertisers can deliver more relevant ads. Many people are seeing a tremendous increase in the appearance of behavioral ads--some with ads and recommendations crossing the border from relevant to intrusive. This, in turn, is giving rise to the concern that everything they do online is being tracked.

The debate gets tricky here. Are people really concerned about being tracked--or are they really more concerned that someone has access to personal data, which can be compromised? Is this any different than the old catalog vendors sending you junk mail based on past purchases? Truth is, people are much more worried about the security of their personal information than they are about their browsing history. This is true in almost every facet of consumer behavior.

For example, look at how grocery stores interact with their customers. Grocery stores and their suppliers constantly seek ways to improve what they stock, where they place items, and how they are priced, all to improve the average customer sale. To do this, they need data. Rich customer data. Customers, looking for better prices and more relevant items, are willing to trade their data in return for discounts. Enter the loyalty card. Everyone from the grocery store to restaurant chain is hawking loyalty cards to entice users to share data. For the price of their buying data, customers are given discounts, free food, and other rewards. But this is based on trust--trust that merchants and their partners will protect the consumer. Protect their credit cards, protect their IDs from being stolen. Even protect their cars in the parking lot.

Online, it's really not any different. Consumers are aware of their data's value and have shown a willingness to trade it for better service and better prices. Subscription content and user-based sites are growing dramatically as advertisers trade content for context. But it's even more critical that online data be protected. It is no longer just what you bought at the grocery store, but what sites you browsed, what you registered for, and who you are friends with. The real issue for consumers: What are businesses doing to protect their online data? Every time a retailer loses credit card data or Facebook accidentally shares your data with their partners, consumer privacy concerns are raised.

Unfortunately, many groups can't seem to differentiate between privacy and security--which leads us to the debate today over regulation and rights. Imagine what would happen if users had to opt-in to all sites that track or display ads, and there was no browsing history available for advertisers? Here are a few possibilities:

All valuable content will end up secure--and each user would have to accept terms before viewing content. No more checking ESPN for scores; people would have log in to get the most basic content. Forget a quick check of the weather. Time to opt-in first. The Web would slow to a crawl.

Ads would be force-fed and longer. Users would be subjected to longer ads or videos prior to accessing content, similar to the never-ending previews at a movie theater.
Read Andrea Fishman's previous article, "Diminishing Returns: 5 Targeting Traps."
The cable TV model would come to online. As advertisers have to cast a wider net to reach broader audiences without rich targeting, their costs will go up. Users would be forced to pay a premium for information to help subsidize the increase in costs for advertising. Essentially, this will create cable channels for online content.

It's time to focus on what is at the heart of most user concerns: keeping the Web and digital interactions safe and secure. Protect credit card data better? Sure. Restrict sites for younger audiences? Absolutely. But when it comes to behaviors and advertising, let people decide how much they want to share and what they are willing to trade for their information.

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Privacy vs. Security: What's Behind Ad-Targeting Concern?

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Privacy has emerged as a dominant topic of debate among digital marketers this year. Consumer watchdog groups are clamoring for new protective measures. The U.S. government, including the Federal Trade Commission, is considering regulating advertising methods and practices. Advertisers are taking proactive measures to self-regulate their behaviors in hopes of lessening any regulatory impact.Why the commotion?

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This article points out that some sites offer users the chance to opt out of the use of cookies. However this paper lacks a professional feel.

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Cookies: Privacy on the Internet?

Anne Selene

Almost everyone loves cookies, right? Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Sugar; everyone has a favorite. Well, there is one type of cookie you won't find in an oven. Today, many web sites on the internet can use "cookies" to keep track of passwords and usernames and track the sites a particular user visits (Cookiecentral.com). But, the use of cookies to track user's browsing habits is becoming a concern of many internet users. These concerned people are beginning to think of cookies as an invasion of privacy. Companies with web sites can use cookies to track what sites you visit frequently and then select specific ad banners to send to you on the web while surfing (Cookiecentral.com). Electronic Frontier Foundation's program director, Stanton McCandlish points out, "The potential problem is that companies without a sense of ethics could be doing [the] same thing and selling addresses to offline marketers" (news.cnet.com). The government should realize the hazards of internet cookies and enforce a ban on their use.

For those not familiar with the internet type of cookie, http://www.cookiecentral.com/ provides the definition of a cookie and some of the ways they are used. The site states, "a 'cookie' is a small piece of information sent by a web server to store on a web browser so it can later be read back from that browser." When you visit a cookie-using site on the web, that site will save a small text file in your browser's folder or directory. This file will tell them who you are if you ever visit their site again. The site goes on to explain in more detail the different areas where a cookie can be used. The various tasks that can be performed by a cookie listed include online ordering, targeted marketing, user ID's, and site personalization. It is true that there are some beneficial uses of cookies. For example, personalizing a certain site for what you would like to see every time you pull up that page. However, there are many more ways that cookies could be used unethically.

There have not been any specific reports of "cookie fraud" on the internet, but there are certainly many opportunities for it. As soon as someone attempts to keep records or use tracking devices on other people, privacy rights come up. Marketing firms on the internet use cookies to collect data about users' preferences to choose what internet advertisements should be used on the websites a particular user will pull up. For example, if somebody pulls up a site that gets its advertisement banners from one of these marketing firms, this "third party server" then requests that a cookie be set on the user's hard drive. This, in turn, places an advertisement banner on the original page that is specific to the viewer's interests and tastes. The server's goal would be to use targeted ads to generate better return and to increase the variety of banners a user would see. The user would not see many banners over and over that are of no interest to them. This may be a benefit to some people, but for others it is seen as an invasion of privacy that they have no control over (Cookiecentral.com).

In response to some of the concern over cookie data collection, web sites are now starting to post privacy policies on their pages. According to Mr. Jerry Berman's testimony, 44% of web sites now provide consumers with information about what personal information they collect, and 52% dispense how they will use this information. However, only 39.5% of the sites will give users an "opt-out" clause, which means allowing the patron to decide whether they would like to be "re-contacted for marketing purposes". Plus, only 25% of these same sites give people "some control over the disclosure of data to third parties"(Cdt.org). These data shows that although some web sites are beginning to step up their privacy policies, many more are still without a policy at all or do not provide their access on the World Wide Web. This fact may not alarm some people, but if you compare the internet to other equal areas that are offline, you will see how unorthodox this situation is. As Mr. Berman also states in his testimony, offline businesses and professionals accumulate personal data, but these entities can usually be trusted to use only the information that is appropriate to their own service area (Cdt.org). And if they do not follow this unspoken agreement, there are specific, obligatory laws that will protect the consumer from any harm. The internet needs the same, essential laws. Banning internet cookies is one very important step in this process. Cookies are the primary source of personal data collection on the internet not initially given out by the user. Cookie use is continually growing as the internet and the World Wide Web is continually expanding. As more and more web sites adopt the use of cookies, more and more users will be exposed to them and therefore these sites will collect more of these users' personal data.

An example of how much a cookie can reveal about you can be found by visiting http://www.privacy.net/analyze. I visited this page and I was amazed at what the site knew about my computer in general. It showed my domain, whom to contact at Iowa State about my internet service including all the phone and fax numbers, how my domain is configured and who owns the network I am using. This information was provided to me in a matter of minutes. I had not clicked on any ads or links and I had not answered any surveys or questionnaires given by the website. Keep in mind that this information was provided by a website that is concerned with privacy on the World Wide Web. What they show you when you download that page is what they can know about you by using ethical data collecting methods. If cookies continue to be approved by the government as a viable internet function, things could get severely out of hand.

There are some immediate solutions to the problem of cookie interference. If you are a user of either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator web browsers, you can set your browser settings to control what cookies you accept and when you want to accept them. Internet Explorer 3.0 and Netscape 3.0 allow you to set your preferences so you are alerted before you accept a cookie. The 4.0 version of these two browsers allows you to set your options so you can accept all, some or none of the cookies offered (Cookiecentral.com). Another alternative to setting your browser options is using software to manage your cookies. There are many different software programs on the market. Visit the Cookiecentral.com web site for a list and download instructions.

While choosing to set one of these two options on your web browser will provide immediate results, it will not stop cookies in the long run. Many web sites who are affiliated with the "third party servers" do not say in their privacy policy what kind of cookie activity is going on that is related to the server. These underground cookies can be hard to regulate. For this reason, the government should officially ban cookies. The government has no concerns about cookies at this point in time. However, the government should come to realize that cookies invade the privacy of United States citizens who are protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Works Cited

One step in the process of eliminating cookies would be to alert your congressman about your concerns. You can find the addresses of all United States Representatives and Senators at http://www.house.gov/ and http://www.senate.gov/ respectively. A second step is to personally "ban" cookies from your own computer. If you do not utilize web sites' cookies, these sites will not gain anything from you. If everyone were to stop allowing cookies on their personal computers, web sites would find that cookies do not benefit their business and would possibly stop using them. Tell others about any concerns you may have regarding cookies. You may educate someone about cookies that knew nothing before and help him or her understand why cookies are not an essential part of the internet.

Cookies. <http://www.cookiecentral.com/cm002.htm> (31 Oct. 1999).

Festa, Paul. "Government OKs Net cookies". 16 March 1998. <http://news.dnet.com/news/0-1003-200-327461.html> (31 Oct. 1999).

Privacy in the Digital Age. "Jerry Berman's Testimony". <http://www.cdt.org/testimony/Berman.test.House.5.27.99.shtml> (31 Oct. 1999).

Shaking the Cookie Jar. "New Cookie Technology or Existing Cookie Technology Under Attack". <http://www.cookiecentral.com/dscprop.htm> (31 Oct. 1999).

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Cookies: Privacy on the Internet? Anne Selene Almost everyone loves cookies, right? Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Sugar; everyone has a favorite. Well, there is one type of cookie you won't find in an oven. Today, many web sites on the internet can use "cookies" to keep track of passwords and usernames and track the sites a particular user visits (Cookiecentral.com).

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As advertisers get more effective in targeting, blockers are also rising to meet the demands of users who feel taken advantage of. Supply and demand shows that the demand for greater protection against programmatic advertisers needs to be met.

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Since the mid '90s, the internet has been filled with examples of something tiny becoming something big - and changing everything. Ad blocking is another of those stories that will be told, in years to come, around smoldering tweet-fires by grumpy old digital marketers like me.

Ad blockers have already had a huge impact on the digital landscape. This impact could only grow larger if the popularity of blocking ads reaches a critical mass on mobile as well as desktop. For this article, I talked with numerous publishers, users, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, media agencies and Adblock Plus itself to get a complete view of the varying perspectives on ad blocking, and most importantly, to try to tackle where it will all wind up.

Ad-blocking background

Skip ahead to the next heading if you already know the ad-blocking basics. If not, ad blockers are desktop/mobile browser add-ons or standalone browsers that cause most paid advertising to completely vanish from your surfing experience.

Tired of ads intermingling with your search results? Install an ad blocker and enjoy ZERO sponsored ads. Weary of watching a 30-second Facebook video with a 15-second mid-stack ad shoved dead in the center? Simple fix: Download an ad blocker, and voila, video only - c'est la vie, Zuckerberg.

The same applies to most every site, from YouTube video ads to click-bait style ("see what happens next") modules at the bottom or right rail of most popular content.

There are other reasons to download ad blockers as well - security reasons, like: stop the bad people from accessing my webcam. Did you know that even innocuous sites can open your mic or access your cam? Did you ever get a bizarre feeling that somehow all sorts of different places know you were looking at that "Nicolas Cage rainbow pillowcase?" HOW?

Well, a little plug-and-play add-on or mobile browser can help stop all of that dead in its tracks.

There are many instances (some intentional and some not so intentional) of ads creating malware issues. "Malvertising" has been found not just on seedy sites you would expect to have privacy or security issues with. Even The New York Times and the BBC last year had an issue when they inadvertently ran ads that attempted to hijack the computers of visitors.

Many well-recognized sites have had similar issues to varying degrees. Using ad blockers eliminates most of these issues from ever being a concern.

The user perspective

While there are many different reasons given for using an ad blocker, the bottom-line motivation is pretty simple. Either users are sick of being bombarded by ads and experiencing their effects on the user experience, or they have security or privacy concerns.

If I were writing a confession, I would tell a tale about how I nearly lost my sanity as my mobile phone choked on a 20-slide, "click-bait"-style gallery. It was ever resizing, lagging, and ads kept "enlarging" where the "next" button was located, causing me to click an ad instead of the next button. Yes, this was even on WiFi.

That was when I began using ad blockers on my desktop and phone. Maybe it was one of the first cases of PTAD (Post Traumatic Ad Disorder) ever recorded. I'm getting long in the tooth and don't appreciate having my precious remaining moments sucked up by ads.

The publishers' perspective

I've worked with some of the biggest names in media over the last 18 years and might be a little more empathetic to their plight than a typical consumer. Publishers seem to be getting it from all sides. The way people consume news has vastly changed and impacted many publications.

Then, you have instances of Google depriving the publications of more and more clicks over time from direct results ("answers") to the "view original image" additions into Chrome. Now, many sites who actually do get a visit from a human fail to monetize the pageview because that person has ad blocking enabled.

I've reached out to numerous publications about the issue, and many of them either declined to comment or stopped responding when they heard about the topic of the article. Like saying "Candyman" three times in a mirror, it's almost as if they don't want to even utter the name, for fear it will have bad consequences.

Some publishers, such as Forbes and Business Insider, have taken fairly aggressive action by blocking those with ad blockers. Others, such as The Guardian, take a more subtle approach and attempt to appeal to a reader's logic.

To be fair, many may have gone a bit too far with jamming ads into content or trying to inflate page views artificiallyusing tactics like multi-page slideshows. Unfortunately, whether or not they were part of the inception or rise in popularity of ad blockers, all publishers are now dealing with the effects.

Something I've seen lately are publications that attempt to trick ad blockers using various techniques. One maddening method I ran into involved about 20 to 30 separate scripts running that would auto-load and insert ads if one happened to get blocked. This was set up on a news site. When I attempted to block the actual ad object, another script and ad would be loaded in its place. I've dubbed this the "whack-a-mole" strategy. To me, it appeared to be an indicator of desperation.

Another interesting method publishers have been using is to use their own server as an ad server. This tricks the blockers into thinking the ad is not really an ad. While this method may trick casual users, advanced users can easily block those ad sections with a right click setting in their ad blocker.

Publications such as Wired and City A.M. at one time reportedly blocked ad-blocking readers, but have since stopped doing so. Other publications like Forbes and Business Insider have stayed the course, apparently still blocking all users with blockers, asking them to whitelist them or disable the blocker. While I understand the thinking, this approach seems to anger quite a few users, and there are many message boards and social chatter with derogatory posts raging about this practice.

As an aside, I think companies that employ this technique should be advised that using Google's "cached" version of the page gets around the ad-block wall. Tighten that loophole up, and cast a scowl at your consultants.

I do occasionally see other approaches, like an "article limit," which allows you to read a couple of articles free a month or other set period of time.

I contacted Alon Zieve, COO of Seeking Alpha, who appears to be navigating the ad-blocking issue in a logical way. Zieve reports that blockers have definitely had an impact on SA revenue. They've taken efforts to block certain ad-block users and offer them an option to whitelist or subscribe to the ad-free version. "Fortunately, because our users love our content, we have a relatively good take-up rate on these options."

Interestingly, he finds that users actually have a hard time trying to figure out how to whitelist the site when they decide to do so. Seeking Alpha also has their own version of Google's Contributor Service, a great email strategy, and other marketing strategies in place.

When asked about what publishers need to do to survive, Zieve responded, "At Seeking Alpha, our approach to survival is simple. Produce great, valuable content that our users love, and there will always be a way to monetize it." Their multi-pronged approach appears to have been successful for them in mitigating the ad-block issue.

Adblock Plus's perspective

I conducted a Skype interview with Ben Williams, director of communications at Adblock Plus. He had some interesting things to say about the history of Adblock Plus, the challenges, and where he thinks it will be going.

I happen to agree with Williams's view that Adblock Plus was just answering the call for what was desperately wanted out there. The big bad wolves tried first to sue small companies into submission (some are still at it) and then, when that failed, some decided they would work with them.

Adblock Plus doesn't appear to have any axes to grind. Williams was surprisingly zen about the lawsuits and negative press. In fact, the media outcry was met with Adblock Plus lightening up a bit and not blocking all ads, but setting the sensitivity setting (if you will) a little lower.

It's also important to note that Adblock Plus can be paid to default whitelist your ads as long as they adhere to their quality guidelines, and many large players have done so.

Adblock Plus supports the new models of how publishers will get funded, and they don't think the ad-blocking genie will ever get put back into the bottle. When asked for his thoughts on the "tug-of-war" that has happened in the past with publishers trying to get around ad blockers, Williams replied, "It doesn't really serve the consumer very well."

He added that instead of "jumping into a tech arms race, (publishers) should consider the fact that so many people are blocking ads and should make better ads." He believes, for the most part, that's what has been happening. There are some publishers out there that believe fighting the tide of ad blockers is their best option, but Williams thinks that might be a pretty bad way to treat their users.

When asked about the problem with apps and how they prevent ad blocking, he stated that there really isn't anything that can be done about that yet. Adblock Plus used to have an app that allowed users to block those ads, but it was kicked out of the Play Store in 2011.

Williams does believe that many people are still using browsers to access sites and that the future of ad blocking on mobile is with the blocking browsers. When Twitter announced it will be using Safari for anyone following a link from iOS versions of its app, it was a huge lift to any one of Twitter's 328 million users that may have ad blockers installed.

I asked Williams what he thought about Google announcing its own "ad-blocking" features on Chrome and what that would look like. He replied, "What Google has announced so far sounds more to me to be a pop-up blocker." He believes the ad-blocking community is going to still want to block things like YouTube video ads.

Williams guesses but doesn't know if those features will be included in the Chrome update. "It all depends on the implementation," he said. My personal guess is that YouTube video ads won't be defaulting to the off position - does anyone think they would?

Williams's view on the future of ad blocking is that it isn't going anywhere anytime time soon. He believes that recent moves from Apple and Twitter using Safari will only make blocking ads easier. Interestingly, when wondering where things will go on mobile devices, Williams tells us to "look to the East," saying that people in China, Indonesia and India are blocking ads on their mobile devices at higher rates than we've ever seen on desktop.

A survey Adblock Plus recently conducted discovered why US users aren't using mobile ad blockers the way they are in the East. Williams said the overwhelming response was that they "just didn't know it exists." If that survey is correct, I think a safe bet is that we'll see a surge of mobile ad blocking in the US sometime in the near future.

Looking down the road, Williams feels the best way for publishers to approach their ad-blocking audience is to "reach them with a specialized experience that can also be profitable." He feels that a "frictionless payment system" for publishers might work out well for those who understand they need to support content that they consume.

Media and agency perspectives

It's no secret just how much companies like Google, Facebook and other big media players depend on ad revenues. In 2015, advertising generated close to to 90 percent of Google's total revenue. Facebook makes 84 percent of its ad revenue from mobile. When you're talking billions, even a small dent can make giants sit up and take notice.

One doesn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to see a definitive pattern in all the recent moves from the big players. We've seen the IAB putting out its acronym-rich strategy in an attempt to slow an outbreak of mobile ad blocking by decreasing the demand for it. Google has been pushing the "contributor" service along with other moves that seem to telegraph a reaction to ad blocking such as:

I could talk about each one of these, but this article is already starting to get longer than "Les Misérables." Each one of these moves appears to have some component that's meant to deal with ad blocking in some fashion.

I corresponded with Dennis Buchheim, SVP and general manager of the IAB Tech Lab, about the Coalition for Better Ads (CBA). Buchheim reports that their global effort is focused on providing education and guidance on the user experience, along with guidelines for "better ads" - the goal of which is to slow the motivation to block ads.

Buchheim believes the "installation of ad-blocking technology is often motivated by consumers dealing with ad experiences from other parties who aren't interested in adopting these guidelines."

But what is a publisher to do? "IAB created the IAB Ad Blocking Primer to help guide their efforts. The primer describes the risks and benefits of a wide range of tactics, including subscription models and micropayment models, that can be employed," he said.

The impact on other marketing channels is unclear. Does the more difficult ad landscape increase the spend for SEO, email, social and so on? While he is unclear if there has been a real impact to date, "presumably other channels that can demonstrate their effectiveness would secure increased spend, if digital ad inventory decreased dramatically because of blocking."

"Before that happened, it's likely that the price of digital ads would increase as volume decreased," he added.

What about agencies?

If blocking ads reaches the same fever pitch here in North America and Europe as it has in the East, I can see many paid media reps stating, "Brother, can you spare a dime?" It's quite difficult to know how successful all of the moves by Google and the IAB will be in slowing the adoption of mobile ad blocking. I, for one, believe it will eventually be on the majority of mobile devices.

I reached out to Andrew Goodman, founder of Page Zero Media, for an agency take on what comes next. His thoughts: "As device-specific computing gives way to futuristic home and mobile concepts, the Internet of Things, voice search, facial recognition, AI and machine learning, etc., the whole concept of interrupting people with advertising may be undermined."

In the future, Goodman sees companies like Apple and Microsoft potentially in an advantageous position since they "can lean heavily on business models that provide function to consumers, rather than relying heavily on advertising to supplement whatever consumers might pay for function."

Goodman sees "many current ad models and agencies as doomed within five years, unless they find new stuff to do."

Closing thoughts

I don't think ad blocking is going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, I'm predicting that in spite of all the measures the IAB and its members have taken to slow down the demand for ad blockers, mobile blocking will eventually be as common in the United States as it is in the East.

Efforts to slow the outbreak will delay the rate at which it's adopted. However, as more and more US sites attempt to monetize their mobile content, mobile blocking will inevitably lose the war. For many users, this is a win-win scenario. They'll see better and less annoying ads overall thanks to the CBA efforts - with or without a blocker in play.

Not to sound too unsympathetic, but I'm not breaking out a violin to play "My heart bleeds for Google and Facebook." Even though it might put a dent in their pocketbooks, I'm predicting they'll still come out of it just fine. I'll play that violin for the many publishers who are deserving and in need of those ad dollars.

As for the Google "ad blocker," I don't think even Vegas would carry odds on whether or not that will block video ads from YouTube. Once upon a time, pop-ups were a big problem, and you could download a pop-up blocker plugin to prevent them - until most of the browsers included it by default. In this example, you solved the problem and eliminated a step for the end user.

I get the feeling that the announcement to incorporate the blocker into Chrome is a play to keep the unenlightened in the dark a bit longer. This way they can say, "Hey, yeah, I block ads" when in actuality, they don't even know what a real blocker does. I don't think this will have the prescribed effect they believe it will for very long.

I would love it if people began to embrace ad blockers as an effective protest tool. Hate fake news? Completely block the ads on that publication! You don't have to cause a stink and hope advertisers pull their ads; you have the power with the click of a button to create the same effect.

Just remember to make sure you whitelist those publications you believe are deserving; many desperately need it.

As for the pubs that put up walls for ad blockers, I only see that as a Band-Aid that is easily peeled off. I can see an interesting future if, in fact, many large news sources go subscription only. I can almost see a Napster or BitTorrent for news emerging so that people can consume news without paying for it. Walls generally keep people out, though, not encourage them to walk a few miles to find another entrance.

I believe that the decrease of paid ads puts an increased importance on areas such as social, search, email and so on. Getting your content in front of a user will take more skills than bid, tools or resources to keep auctioning. I don't know of many that consider an organic Google result for a term to be an ad - and that, in my opinion, is how the future of paid media, on the whole, should look: as innocuous as an answer that Alexa would give to the asker. Having a true, number one position for an important phrase really can't be more valuable in a future without easily acquired sponsored ads, can it?

I would love to hear your thoughts on where you think this will all end up. Be sure to check out my video breakdown of the article as well:
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.
About The Author

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Ad-mageddon! Ad blocking, its impact, and what comes next - Marketing Land

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Contributor Anthony Muller talks with the IAB, publishers, agencies and Adblock Plus to get their perspectives on the rise of ad blocking, its effects on the digital ad ecosystem, and what we can expect to see in the future.

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A lack of consensus on governing the digital space has left the window wide open on a global scale for digital user tracking. The author Sowmyan Jegatheesan   accurately notes; "Taking advantage of the lack of one unified body that could govern the online space with its strict and stringent rules certain websites use the text files called cookies in collecting data from users...". The digital market place has rapidly evolved into a well funded juggernaut which has been only slowed down by local legislative efforts to restrict the tracking and targeting of users.

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This is a great article that explores some of the loss of digital privacy. I did not choose this source, out of principle, because it is so jam packed with adds it is nauseating to read.

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Unless you're a vigilant privacy buff, you're being watched right now.

As you scoot from one Web site to another, you accumulate a swarm of tracking cookies and other bits of computer code ("beacons" or "flash cookies") that report your status to a database that keeps a dossier on you and what you do on the Web.

And you thought the Web was "free." You're paying with your privacy.

The invasive use of these technologies, documented brilliantly in an ongoing Wall Street Journal series titled " What They Know," allows data miners to collect reams of personal information about you. They know which Web sites you've visited and which ads you've clicked. "Scrapers" know about comments you've added to online forums. They've installed software that tells them what you're doing on the Web in real time. As the Journal reports, some of these bits of code "surreptitiously re-spawn themselves even after users try to delete them." These dossiers "are bought and sold on stock-market-like exchanges that have sprung up in the past 18 months."

I doubt that few who use the Web ever thought they were signing up for a technology whose surreptitious data-gathering can home in on a user's age, ZIP code, level of education, health data, gender, estimated income, marital status, real estate situation, and more, as the reports.

Tracking technology has spun so far out of control that Comcast was dropping tracking cookies that it didn't even know about on users' computers. The culprit was some free software Comcast used to build a slide show. Microsoft confessed to the Journal that it didn't know why its MSN.com site was planting a powerful tracking file from Targus Information Corp. on users' computers. Dictionary.com, meanwhile, took the cookie prize in the Journal series, depositing 168 tracking tools on browsers without giving users a chance to opt out. Even the Journal is guilty of tracking without asking. The series noted that the paper's WSJ.com drops 60 tracking files. The Journal busted its corporate sibling, MySpace, for shipping users' personal data to outside advertising companies when they clicked on ads.

You can cleanse your computer of tracking files if you follow the 's instructions or those published in the New York Timestoday. But I'm warning you-it's as much work as a part-time job. Some users will decide that deleting cookies is more trouble than it's worth. Cookies, after all, store passwords, preferences, and other settings that make surfing easier. Plus, some tracking done by advertisers can be beneficial if it serves you an advertisement that interests you as opposed to a random pitch.

The Web-advertising industry has tried policing itself with programs that allow users to opt out of certain tracking files. Software developers have written nifty programs that help Web surfers minimize unwanted surveillance. But these fixes only ratchet up the arms race between the snooping companies and the blockers. As we've learned from our experiences with spam, viruses, and malware, there are no permanent solutions to our computer annoyances.

We could always go to the government for legislation to blunt the snooper. But the Cato Institute's Jim Harper would remind us that the feds have too much in common with the Web spies to be good protectors of our privacy. It's the federal government that wants the Web infrastructure to be reprogrammed, so it can expand its wiretapping powers. It wanted a "clipper chip" that would allow authorities "back-door" entry into encrypted communications. It's behind the FBI's "Carnivore" system and the Total Information Awareness proposal. It installed those hideous " backscatter " scanning devices at airports. It mandated compulsory identification cards. Do we really want to put the Federal Trade Commission in charge of the Internet?

As I already noted, the privacy problem is really one of our own making. We're the ones who surrender the privacy of the contents of our e-mail, calendars, and contacts to Gmail, which then sells ads against those contents. We give the mapping services our home addresses and our destinations; we give similar information to free GPS outfits. We share our comings and goings by checking in on Foursquare. We let iTunes catalog our music libraries in exchange for its "Genius" recommendations. We submit volumes of personal information to Facebook for Mark Zuckerberg to monetize. None of these exploitations should come as a surprise. They weren't forced on us. If we read the voluminous "terms of service" agreements that we check yes to in return for these free services, we'd see that the providers of "free" services were very candid about how they'd use our personal information.

Much of the privacy that so many of us cherish has been an economic fluke. The comings and goings of city dwellers, their preferences and perversions, and their secrets weren't easily known, because they were too expensive to harvest. But for inhabitants of small towns, this was never true. Those streets have gossiping eyes, which is one reason people moved to cities. Since the Web makes harvesting of personal data so cheap-and lucrative-it's hard to imagine village- or city-dwellers enjoying any of their former anonymity unless they're willing to pay for it.

As the Journal series notes, our privacy dilemma is baked into many of the Web browsers that we either download for free or accept with our operating systems. In 2008, a faction at Microsoft wanted the next version of its browser, Internet Explorer, to "give users a simple, effective way to avoid being tracked online. They wanted to design the software to automatically thwart common tracking tools, unless a user deliberately switched to settings affording less privacy."

That set off a debate at the company between user advocates and advertising advocates. Microsoft, Google, and Apple, makers of three top Internet browsers, are also in the advertising business. * You can guess which Microsoft faction won. The automatic privacy functions were gutted to make consumer tracking-and hence ad sales-easier. (Here's how to use the " InPrivate Filtering " tool that survived in the shipped version of Internet Explorer 8.)

Surfing the Web anonymously is possible, as the and New York Timesprimers show, but, as I said, it's a lot of work. So my question is this: Would you be willing to pay for a browser that was designed from the bottom up for privacy, not to serve advertisers? Are you prepared to pay for all the content (like !) and services you now get for "free" in exchange for giving up privacy and anonymity to tracking files?

How much is your privacy worth?

******

See Jeff Jarvis' blog for his continuing thoughts on why we should abandon our privacy obsessions. (He's writing a book on the topic.) If you've got great privacy ideas, share them below in comments. Yes, you'll have to give up some privacy to contribute. See this site for data on how much tracking is going on at your favorite sites. (It doesn't have a score for yet.) Send your Social Security numbers, passwords, DOB, and other personal identifiers to slate.pressbox@gmail.com. Invade my privacy through my Twitter feed. (E-mail may be quoted by name in "The Fray," 's readers' forum; in a future article; or elsewhere unless the writer stipulates otherwise. Permanent disclosure: is owned by the Washington Post Co.)

Track my errors: This hand-built RSS feed will ring every time runs a "Press Box" correction. For e-mail notification of errors in this specific column, type the word privacy in the subject head of an e-mail message, and send it to slate.pressbox@gmail.com.

This article incorrectly claimed that Microsoft, Google, and Apple make the three top browsers on the market. They make three of the top browsers, but not the top three. This error was introduced by an editor several hours after publication. (Return to the corrected sentence.)

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Whom to blame for the loss of our Internet privacy.

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Unless you're a vigilant privacy buff, you're being watched right now.

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This article is a great guide to the every man regarding the issues that cookies and programmatic advertisers create. While this article does a fairly good job of being objective, it does stress the need that users feel to protect their privacy. This article also outlines ways to become aware of what cookies exist regarding the user and how users can arm themselves against cookie tracking. Notably, the definition of cookies recorded in this article is vastly more specific and complete than the Federal Trade Commission's antiquated definition.

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Browser Cookies: The Definitive Guide For Developers & Users

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This in-depth guide provides everything you need to know about cookies both as a web user and as a web developer, includes lots of resources to learn more.

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This article covers a legal measure meant to require consent for cookie mapping, however I found this article less relevant since the legal action was not effective.

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This was an interesting read regarding cookie tracking across platforms, though I did not find it super relevant to my topic.

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[Steven Englehardt is a first-year Ph.D. student in the computer security group at Princeton. In this post he talks about the implications of a recent study that we published in collaboration with researchers at KU Leuven, Belgium. - Arvind Narayanan]
Online tracking is becoming more sophisticated and thus increasingly difficult to block. Modern browsers expose many surfaces that enable users to be uniquely identified, including Flash cookies and browser fingerprints. In a new paper that will appear at ACM CCS, we present the first large scale study of three advanced tracking mechanisms - canvas fingerprinting, evercookies, and cookie syncing. We developed novel measurement techniques and found that these tracking mechanisms are used on a large number of sites. Our findings on canvas fingerprinting, in particular, have been in the news ( Propublica, BBC, EFF).

In this blog post I'll focus on a different part of our paper that looked at cookie syncing, the process by which two different trackers link the IDs they've given to the same user. The most common use of cookie syncing is to enable real-time bidding between several entities in an ad auction. It allows the bidder and the ad network to refer to the user by the same ID so that the bidder can place bids on a particular user in current and future auctions. Cookie syncing raises subtle yet serious privacy concerns, but due to the technical complexity of explaining it, didn't receive much press coverage. In this post I'll explain cookie syncing and why it's worrisome - even more so than canvas fingerprinting.

In our study, we measured the prevalence of cookie syncing using our newly-built web measurement platform, OpenWPM. The platform allows us to automate visits to a site and record all HTTP traffic and changes to the browser's state that result from the visit. We can use this data to trace the flow of third-party cookies that contain unique identifiers. We found that nearly 40% of all tracking IDs are synced between at least two entities, so it is a ubiquitous practice.

How cookie syncing works. The process begins when a user visits a site (say example.com, not shown in the figure), which includes A.com as an embedded third-party tracker. (1) The browser makes a request to A.com, and included in this request is the tracking cookie set by A.com. (2) A.com retrieves its tracking ID from the cookie, and redirects the browser to B.com, encoding the tracking ID into the URL. (3) The browser then makes a request to B.com, which includes the full URL A.com redirected to as well as B.com's tracking cookie. (4) B.com can then link its ID for the user to A.com 's ID for the user. All of this is invisible to the user.

Once two trackers sync cookies, they can exchange user data between their servers. This data can be browsing histories or even PII. This exchange doesn't go through the browser, and so it cannot be observed by experiments like those in our study. To be clear, we don't know if this is a common practice. But this is precisely my point: cookie syncing enables a world of back-end data sharing, and there is so little oversight of the tracking ecosystem that we just don't know what is happening behind the scenes. And this is a problem. Based on the evidence of what we can observe in the browser, it seems that every avenue for data collection and sharing does seem to eventually get utilized.

( Click to play)

The graph shows what happens when a user visits several hundred of the top 1500 Alexa sites. Each node is either a site visited by the user or a tracker; each site is connected to each of the trackers that it embeds. Two specific trackers are highlighted in blue and orange, along with the first-party sites that they track. Clicking the graph will display an animated version which shows how two trackers could merge tracking history after sharing tracking IDs. Essentially, it is as if there is a single tracker with the combined reach of the two.

To put it concretely, in our measurements we found only two trackers (doubleclick.net and googleanalytics.com) that are present on 40% or more of websites. But if we assumed a moderate amount of back-end data sharing (defined in Section 5.3 of our paper), the number of trackers that can observe 40% of users' browsing history would jump to 161.

Cookie syncing can also negate the effect of users clearing cookies. How might this happen? Some trackers "respawn" cleared cookies, typically by abusing browser features. This is called an "evercookie." (We studied and measured evercookies in a separate section of the paper.) Fortunately, the practice is considered an egregious privacy breach and none of the major tracking companies do it. But here's the kicker: we found some trackers respawning their cookies after the user clears all cookies, and passing these respawned cookies to other trackers via cookie syncing! Thus, even trackers that don't employ respawning/evercookies nonetheless gain the ability to continually track users who clear cookies, as we explain below.

The diagram shows the records stored in tracker.com's databases as a user browses various sites: (1) tracker.com tracks the user with cookie ID 123. (2) tracker.com receives the synced ID ABC from partner.com. (3) The user clears her cookies and tracker.com begins tracking the user with a new cookie ID 456. However partner.com respawns the same ID of ABC (not shown). Without external information, tracker.com is unable to link IDs 123 and 456 to the same user. (4) partner.com syncs the value ABC with tracker.com (5) tracker.com knows 123 and 456 correspond to the same user since they are linked with partner.com's cookie ID ABC. Now tracker.com has the ability to link the user's histories under IDs 123 and 456, if it chooses to do so.

This graph shows what happens when a user visits several hundred of the top 1500 sites in a random order but clears cookies midway⁵. As before, nodes represent pages visited or embedded third-party trackers and edges represent a tracked visit. We highlight the same tracker both before and after the user clears cookies (blue and orange respectively). The graph on the left is completely disconnected, meaning the user effectively appears as two different users to the trackers. But when this tracker receives respawned cookies via cookie syncing, they gain the ability to connect the user's visits to websites they track from before and after cookie clearing.

In our study, we found a relatively obscure tracker merchenta.com respawn an ID on a single site out of 3,000 we crawled. It then passed this ID to adnxs.com, a major tracker which we observed on approximately 11% of the sites but does not respawn cookies itself. Again, to be clear, we have no way of knowing if adnxs.com links browsing history in this manner as a matter of policy, but the information needed to do so resides in their databases and that is a problem by itself.

In summary, cookie syncing can enable trackers to create more complete and persistent profiles on the users they track. Given the sophistication of today's trackers, starting a truly fresh browsing profile is a very difficult task - the web never really forgets.

Let me end by pointing out why cookie syncing is more troublesome than most other tracking techniques including fingerprinting. In response to our work, AddThis, who had by far the most widely deployed canvas fingerprinting code in our study, has stated that they are ceasing the practice of fingerprinting. They are able to do this since fingerprinting is not essential to the web or to their business model. On the other hand, cookie syncing is essential to ad auctions; despite its privacy risks, it's not realistic to expect that it will go away. So what's the way forward?

Technical solutions like cookie double-keying or list-based and heuristic-based blocking tools can help prevent cookie syncing to the extent they prevent tracking altogether. However, the business model of the majority of the web will likely prevent the widespread deployment of these solutions as on-by-default for the average consumer. Instead, these consumers must simply trust that companies are not misusing tracking data. Transparency of data use practices in an externally verifiable manner would go a long way toward repairing consumer mistrust of online tracking and advertising.

ID cookies are determined using the method described in Section 5.1 of our paper.
Alternative syncing mechanisms exist; A.com can build the request to B.com in javascript (requiring a single request), or B.com can generate the initial request to A.com with its tracking ID embedded in the url (thus performing a two-directional sync).
Onboarding companies are an example of trackers that receive PII from other domains.
This graph shows real data collected during a measurement, where the front page of the global top 3000 Alexa sites were visited in descending order. Nodes are Public-Suffix + 1, edges are the existence of an HTTP referrer back to the visited site and an identifying cookie. For graph simplicity Facebook.com is excluded and only a subset of page visits are included.
We use the same data as before, but simulate this by splitting tracker nodes into pre-clear and post-clear.
Written with many excellent contributions from Christian Eubank and Arvind Narayanan. Thanks to Joseph Bonneau and Ed Felten for their helpful comments.

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Steven Englehardt is a first-year Ph.D. student in the computer security group at Princeton. In this post he talks about the implications of a recent study that we published in collaboration with researchers at KU Leuven, Belgium. - Arvind Narayanan] Online tracking is becoming more sophisticated and thus increasingly difficult to block.

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This article is an example of a firms take on privacy in their cookie tracking, though I think that consent to use cookies still allows for privacy preach when the collected information is mishandled.

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We take privacy seriously and so should you!

This cookie & privacy policy has been updated on August 6 2018. What this policy covers:
This policy explains

how the ad serving technology of Platform161 works;

how and which tracking methods are used by Platform 161 to collect data, which data is collected and the purposes for which the tracking methods and the information collected thereby are used;

the choices regarding the acceptance of these tracking methods;

the personal data collected and processed by Platform161;

the choices regarding the use and sharing of personal information by Platform 161.

the personal data collected and processed by Platform161 for HR purposes.

the personal data collected and processed by Platform161 through contact forms.

Details about the ad serving technology

Platform161 offers ad serving technology which enables its clients to engage in online advertising. Our clients are all kinds of businesses engaged in online advertising: advertisers, ad networks, media agencies, and publishers. These clients buy online ad space. When ad space is sold to a client of Platform161, Platform161's technology fulfils this transaction by delivering the ad of an advertiser (on behalf of the client) on that site.

In practice, you come into contact with Platform161 when you by means of e.g. your computer, tablet or smartphone - view an ad that has been served by Platform161 on a website.

The ads sent by Platform161 are sent from the domain ads.creativeserving.com and/or ads.p161.net.

Platform161's Technology

The ad serving technology offered by Platform161 delivers an ad on a website. The technology uses information collected from several sources to decide the best and most relevant ad to display to you.
Tracking technologies used, data collected and purposes
This section of the policy describes the technologies used to help deliver the most relevant ad to you:

* Cookies. Cookies are small text files that are stored within a browser.

Platform 161 drops cookies through every ad it serves for the following purposes:

1. For Targeting and Optimisation:

(a) to recognize a user ID visiting a website (user matching);

(b) as part of the (targeted) ad serving process;

(c) to collect information about the user's online interaction (over multiple websites) and use that information to build user profiles;

(d) to maintain a list of ads previously delivered by the technology of Platform161;

(e) to remember the number of times the same ad was delivered to a user;

2. For Reporting and Attribution:

(f) to collect the number of times a user clicked on an ad served by Platform161 (on behalf of a client) and

(g) to track and assess the number of times a user engages in a business transaction (i.e. makes purchases) on the site of an advertiser.

(h) to determine, count and attribute conversions. For example: a user clicks on an ad served by Platform161 on a website. Once on the website the ad links to, the user makes a purchase on that website. This purchase is counted by means of cookies.

Platform161 uses the following types of cookies:

Next to the data that are being gathered by Platform161 through dropping our own cookies, third party data can also be used to optimize our campaigns. These third party data come from third party data providers that live up to current law and industry standards.

Platform161's cookies will be stored for 13 months after being dropped on a device.

* Ad tags. Platform161's technology responds to requests from 'ad tags' placed on the website you are visiting. Ad tags provide Platform161 with information and enable Platform161 to determine the correct size and location of an ad.

* Pixel tags. Platform161 also uses pixel tags (also known as javascript or 1×1 pixels) to drop cookies. A pixel tag is a tiny graphic or script placed on a website that is not visible to the user. These pixel tags communicate with the technology of Platform161 and enable Platform161 to recognize a user by means of its UUID, or in the event that no UUID has been assigned to a user, to drop a cookie on the user's equipment and assign a UUID to the user. The use of pixel tags allows Platform161 to measure campaign effectiveness, to optimize campaign performance and to provide more relevant advertising. Pixel tags furthermore allow Platform161 to create and identify consumer segments and to select the appropriate ad based on the consumer segment.
Transparency, Choice and Opt-In:
Platform161's technology uses cookies for ad selection in order to enhance ad effectiveness. Platform161 believes that the tracking technologies used by Platform161 and described above enhance your web experience by limiting the repetitiveness of advertising and increasing the level of relevant ads delivered to you. However, you may not want, for example, cookies to be stored on your equipment or information to be collected by using these cookies. We will therefore only drop a cookie on your computer if you have consented or opted-in for this.

We also provide you with the possibility to no longer accept Platform161's cookies. To enable our cookies please click 'opt-out'.

To opt-out or opt-in, please click on the corresponding link below:

Data Controller, Data Collected, Purpose:

Besides the data collected when a cookie is dropped, the Platform161 technology also collects the following possible personal data: such as the date and time of ad delivery to a user, the IP-address, postal code, region and country of a user, language setting, the type of browser, operating system used and connection speed, status of a user (unknown, accepting or not accepting cookies), the web page address(es) where the ad has been delivered, and administered clicks on ads. This information helps our technology to decide the best and most relevant ad to display to a user.

Platform161's technology collects and stores aggregated ad delivery reporting data. This data is used to provide our clients with campaign reporting and used for billing purposes. A typical report includes information about the ads delivered, including the date and time of ad delivery, the websites on which the ads were shown, and statistics on user response. A report also includes statistics about browser types, date and time of ad delivery, and inferred geography.

Finally, the information collected (by means of cookies and/or other tracking methods) is processed for internal purposes only: i.e. to possibly build user profiles that enable Platform161 to optimize and personalize advertiser campaigns.

To the extent that the data referred to above constitutes personal data within the meaning of the Dutch Data Protection Act, Platform161 will act as a data controller within the meaning of the Dutch Data Protection Act with respect to the processing of such data.

Platform161 performs cookie syncing (aka: user synching, user matching or cookie matching) which is one of the generic methods used in the online advertising space to recognize user IDs across technology vendors like DSP's, SSP's and DMP's.

In some countries, Platform161 clients are obliged by regulation to inform users about the cookies on their site and the data that is collected, with which means and with what purpose.

When working with Platform161, it is only necessary to inform and get approval for Platform161 technology. In approving usage of Platform161 technology, a user also approves any other technology that is used in the Platform161 space that is needed to perform their technical operations.

Still, it is advised to mention in the privacy policy or ad notice that other technologies' cookies are potentially used through Platform161. You can refer to this Privacy page to give users the possibility to see which technologies are used.

Exchange

Type of cookie

Purpose of cookie

Persistance

Information Sharing and Disclosure:

Platform161 may provide copies of log files to advertisers, clients and certain partners relating to the specific transactions they are a party to. These files contain information that allows clients to analyse the effectiveness and performance of their advertising campaign. Our clients also have the ability to use any or all of the information collected in connection with our services for their own purposes. The information provided to our clients does not contain personally identifiable information about you. In cases where Platform161 provides information to our clients, our clients are obliged to use the information they receive in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Platform161 may share the information it collects with selected partners, vendors, agents or others who work on our behalf, in order to provide products or services you have requested, or when we have your permission. Platform161 may share information about you if Platform161 is acquired by or merged with another company.

Platform161 may also share information in the event that we are asked to respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims, or as otherwise permitted by law.

Platform161 maintains safeguards to protect the security, integrity and privacy of the personally identifiable information in our control. Platform161 safeguards ensure that personally identifiable information is protected against loss and unlawful processing. They also aim at preventing unnecessary processing.

Processing of personal data for HR purposes

We process the applicant's data only for the purpose and in the context of the application procedure in accordance with the legal requirements.

The processing of the applicant's data takes place in order to fulfil our (pre-)contractual obligations in the context of the application procedure within the meaning of Art. 6 I b GDPR and Art. 6 I b GDPR if data processing becomes necessary for us, e.g. within the framework of legal procedures.

The application procedure requires that applicants provide us with their data. If we offer an online form, the necessary applicant data are marked and do otherwise result from the job descriptions and generally include personal data, postal and contact addresses and the documents belonging to the application, such as cover letter, curriculum vitae and certificates. In addition, applicants may voluntarily provide us with additional information.

By submitting the application to us, applicants agree to the processing of their data for the purposes of the application procedure in accordance with the type and scope set out in this data privacy declaration.

Insofar as special categories of personal data within the meaning of Art. 9 I GDPR are voluntarily communicated within the scope of the application procedure, they are additionally processed in accordance with Art. 9 I b GDPR (e.g. health data, severely disabled status or ethnic origin). If special categories of personal data within the meaning of Art. 9 I GDPR are requested from applicants during the application procedure, they are additionally processed in accordance with Art. 9 II a GDPR (e.g. health data, if these are required for the exercise of the profession).

If made available applicants can send us their applications via an online form on our website provided through the HR tool "Homerun" (https://platform161.com/careers/). The data is encrypted and transmitted to us according to the technical state of the art.

An applicant can decide to send us their applications by e-mail. Please note however, that e-mails are generally not sent in encrypted form and that the applicants themselves must ensure that they are encrypted. We cannot therefore accept any responsibility for the transmission of the application between the sender and receipt on our server and therefore recommend that you use an online form or the postal dispatch. Instead of using the online application form and e-mail, applicants can still send us their application by post.

If the application is successful, the data provided by the applicant can be further processed by us for the purpose of employment. Otherwise, if the application for a job offer is not successful, the applicant's data will be deleted. Applicants' data will also be deleted if an application is withdrawn, which the applicants are entitled to do at any time.

The deletion will take place within the applicable legally defined retention times, latest after a period of six months, subject to a justified revocation by the applicant, so that we can answer any follow-up questions to the application and meet further applicable legal obligation. Invoices for any reimbursement of travel expenses are archived in accordance with tax regulations.

Personal data processed in regard to contact forms

All personal data provided to Platform161 through the use of a contact form will be handled in accordance with the applicable legal obligations.

By using the contact form and providing information through this to Platform161, the user consents to Platform161 processing said data to comply with user requests and possible follow-ups.

All information will be stored in a secure way and will be deleted irretrievably once the request has been dealt with and within the applicable retention times. Platform161 is not storing any additional information nor distributing it to third parties.

Seals of Approval

ISO 27001 Certification
The ISO 27000 family of standards helps organizations keep information assets secure. The Information Security Management System is applicable to the following 'The development, maintenance, and delivery of the Platform161 product, delivered as a SaaS to digital advertising customers.' Click below for the official certificate.
DigiTrust Certificaat ISO 27001 Platform 161

ePrivacy seal
The ePrivacy seal of approval confirms compliance with their criteria catalogue, which includes the high standards of the German data protection law. Privacy is in Germany an expression of the most important principle of the Constitution - the fundamental right to protect the own personality.

BVDW Mitglied seal
The BVDW has an interdisciplinary foundation and thus has a holistic overview of the issues facing the digital economy. BVDW is engaged in continuous dialogue with politicians, the media and other interest groups, and supports the dynamic development of the sector in a results-oriented, practical and effective way.

EDAA OBA Certification
We fully comply with the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising as managed by the EDAA. If you want to read more about the program please visit youronlinechoices.eu.

Platform161 may update this policy from time to time. Please check this Cookie & Privacy Policy for updates.

If you have any questions about our Cookie & Privacy Policy or would like to obtain more information about the data we process about you, please contact us:
Platform161 Attention: Privacy Questions Email us: privacy@platform161.com Johan Huizingalaan 763a 4th floor | 1066 VH | Amsterdam | The Netherlands | www.platform161.com

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This cookie & privacy policy has been updated on August 6 2018.

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This article has pros and cons to Programmatic advertising but fails to address privacy concerns.

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Advertisers and publishers alike look for the most efficient, profitable and simple solution that would let them achieve their goals and earn more revenue. In search of a better option, market players turn to programmatic direct, one of the widespread methods of media buying. But is it really better for achieving exceptional results? Let's dive into this media buying method and find out how it compares with real-time auctions in open marketplaces.

What is programmatic direct?

There are several terms synonymous with programmatic direct advertising: programmatic premium, programmatic guaranteed, programmatic reserved or automated guaranteed. They are all equally used to denote the method of media buying when advertisers agree to purchase inventory directly from selected publishers at fixed CPM rates. This involves both automated purchases (using programmatic technology) and direct negotiations between partners (as well as in traditional media buying).

Essentially, programmatic direct uses the same automation mechanisms as RTB marketplaces to ensure direct ad sales. The difference is that it tries to increase the efficiency of media buying and lessen overhead costs that the standard human interactions entail with the help of technology. Programmatic direct should not be confused with private marketplaces. In the latter case, there are several participants that trade inventory with each other. Whereas programmatic guaranteed implies that two partners negotiate and agree on the inventory purchase within this partnership.

The advantages

Demand partners look for premium inventory that would bring them a highly engaged audience and more paying customers. Supply partners, on the other hand, are concerned with selling inventory at higher prices with higher fill rates. This is what programmatic direct advertising promises to deliver. There are several important advantages that automated guaranteed can provide.

For publishers, guaranteed contracts can provide better fill rates and higher yield. When advertisers buy inventory in advance, publishers can sell remnant traffic from the placements that weren't sold and optimize the revenue.

Both advertisers and publishers get more opportunities to control the process and outcome of media buying. They know exactly who is selling and purchasing inventory, so there are less concerns of fraudulent activities or brand safety. Publishers can work on integrating creatives into the website design and UX, while advertisers can be sure that their ads will not be served in an unsafe environment.

Advertisers get better understanding of the value of the traffic with programmatic guaranteed, because publishers can provide deeper insights about the audience behaviour and user profiles. Publishers, in their turn, can measure revenue they receive in a more efficient way.

...and disadvantages

At the same time, programmatic direct advertising is not a perfect solution for a number of reasons.

With all the assumed certainty that programmatic direct should provide, in reality, there are no guarantees for publishers that all their inventory will be sold. More often than not, publishers end up with remnant traffic they didn't sell directly that they have to sell by other methods.

Automated guaranteed is suitable for big brands that operate large budgets. Smaller brands simply won't have enough funds to purchase inventory directly from premium publishers. In the same way, only top publishers can be sure that they will get the full benefit from reserved inventory. Smaller, less prestigious websites and apps are unlikely to find direct partners, who would want to pay higher prices for their inventory.

The demand for mobile and video content increases, but top publishers cannot keep up and satisfy the need for better performing ad placements. Advertisers can rarely find premium publishers that offer all types of content to place a variety of ad formats. Therefore, advertisers look for more options on private marketplaces and RTB exchanges.

On average, advertisers pay higher prices for the inventory they agree to buy in advance, compared to private marketplaces and open exchanges.

Programmatic direct advertising or real-time bidding?

The main question that advertisers ask is whether programmatic guaranteed is really worth additional time and money? The answer is - yes it is. However, mostly for big brands that have large budgets dedicated to advertising, which let them purchase premium inventory from top publishers.

For smaller advertisers, programmatic direct cannot be the only method of choice. Simply because it is unlikely that the demand for inventory will be satisfied by one, or even several direct publishers. The same goes for publishers that don't have worldwide reach and acclaim. The chances that they will successfully sell all their inventory at all times only to direct partners are scarce.

Automated guaranteed advertising is great in theory, with its promise of transparency, better data reports for advertisers and publishers and in general, more simple and straightforward interaction without intermediaries.

But in reality, premium inventory is not always available through premium direct, and sometimes advertisers pay more for the same quality as they would get in open exchanges. It is possible to find premium partners even through RTB marketplaces. Finding reliable intermediaries can mitigate many concerns about the quality and transparency of partnership.

In the end, brands and publishers that prefer to operate via direct negotiations still have to turn to RTB marketplaces to buy and sell inventory in the amount they need.

Conclusions

Working by the programmatic direct method is still a privilege of big brands and top publishers. For others, it's just one of the techniques to get better quality inventory at guaranteed volumes. Both demand and supply partners can find it beneficial, but the state of the market is such as to make programmatic direct work best alongside other solutions, such as RTB marketplaces.

Discover new opportunities for your brand with Clickky's programmatic and video platforms. Get in touch.

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Pros and Cons of Programmatic Direct Advertising | Clickky

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Advertisers and publishers alike look for the most efficient, profitable and simple solution that would let them achieve their goals and earn more revenue.

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Here is another article that fails to address privacy invasion.

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Real-time transactions are enjoying considerable popularity in the realm of digital advertising. Known as programmatic ad buying, the concept relies upon computer algorithms buying and selling ad space on the fly.

This sounds like a wonderful idea if you're trying to hit a given audience at a particular time, particularly when married to dynamic ads (or personalized content) for your prospective targets.

But like so many good things, there are challenges as well.

Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of programmatic ad buying.

First, the positives...

Employs real-time data

Because buying is done in real-time, your placements happen immediately as well.

This is great for an advertiser, since you can minimize the possibility of buying the wrong traffic, because users can be directly matched to the targeted data you provide. For instance, let's say you are trying to garner interest in your premium gaming app.

You can deliver real-time ads to potential users in another app who are likely to download your game. This results in considerable cost savings and a better return on your advertising investment.

Outstanding efficiency

With programmatic, as we mentioned above, you set the exact criteria you want to target, whether it's geographic, certain devices, a specific demographic, or all of the above.

The algorithm will find users meeting your parameters and place ads in front of them. You can also set a cost budget to prevent overspends-as the system will work to find the audience you've prescribed, within the budget parameters you set.

The algorithms can also be instructed to find the most affordable space for your targeted audience. Because it's all done machine to machine, you're freed of the need to negotiate the rate.

Narrowly-focused targeting

The specificity with which you can focus your efforts is quite remarkable. In fact, some mobile marketing platforms offer targeting based on users who are most likely to engage within an app.

This means your ad will be narrowly focused on acquiring users who create a profile on day one, pay for premium or make in-app purchases rather than just download an app. This isn't just programmatic ad buying, it's a smarter approach to mobile marketing in general.

And now, the negatives...

Fraud potential

Because there is no direct interaction between the publisher and you, many experts feel it's somehow easier for the publisher to deliver "bot" traffic, as opposed to real people.

In programmatic's defense, this is a possibility in any form of digital advertising. Further, the prime purveyors of programmatic are diligently working on ways to eradicate bot traffic.

Non-viewable ads can be an issue too. Even though they appear to have been placed, they're buried, never reaching a user, while an unscrupulous publisher claims a placement.

Ad misdirects

Occasionally a publisher will forward an ad to an affiliate entity, where the ad is in fact displayed. However, it doesn't reach its intended audience.

Known as re-brokering, this can potentially have a harmful effect upon a brand. Consider the consequences of an ad for an adult-oriented product somehow winding up on an app for children.

While it might sound farfetched, it could happen.

Targeting narrowly can be expensive

If you're looking to focus your messaging with laser-like precision and you're working with a platform capable of doing so, they know what they have and charge for it accordingly.

To pinpoint "Becky" on her way to a brick-and-mortar store with an ad promoting your ecommerce app, you'll need to be ready to pay the premium required to do so.

Programmatic is one of the most efficient ways to buy and sell ads yet created. However, just as with every other aspect of life and business, there are upsides to programmatic and there are downsides.

After reviewing the pros and cons of programmatic ad buying here, you'll need to decide if the attributes outweigh the disconnects for what you're trying to accomplish.

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Pros & Cons of Programmatic Ad Buying * Technically Easy

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Real-time transactions are enjoying considerable popularity in the realm of digital advertising. Known as programmatic ad buying, the concept relies upon computer algorithms buying and selling ad space on the fly. This sounds like a wonderful idea if you're trying to hit a given audience at a particular time, particularly when married to dynamic ads (or personalized content) for your prospective targets.

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While it doesn't necessarily mention programmatic, this article lists several ways user information has been hacked on the web.

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NEW DELHI: These days most of our important transactions happen over internet. While an increasingly connected world makes our lives easier, it also poses great risk as we expose our personal data to cyber criminals or hackers. The hackers have devised numerous ways to steal important data which is then put to misuse. Below are six most common ways your data can be stolen and the precautions you can take to stay safe:

What is phishing?
Phishing is a fake email masquerading as legitimate. Hackers create phishing emails through which they intend to steal your confidential information like passwords and bank account details. This kind of email appears to have come from a well-known person or organisation like your bank or company that you work for. These emails generally try to create an urgency or panic to trick users into giving out their personal details. For example, you receive an email from your bank saying that your ATM card has been disabled and you need to confirm your card number or your Aadhaar number to re-activate it. A victim who has received this email might think that it is from a legitimate source when in reality this email has been sent from a malicious hacker trying to steal your confidential information.

How it can it steal your data
T he phishing email might contain a link which on clicking will take you to a fake web page. For example, the link might take you to a fake bank website which looks very legitimate but in reality is just a lookalike. If the victim falls for the scam and enters his/her account details on the website, the details will actually go to the hacker's server instead of going to the bank and the hacker will have all the information that the victim has provided on the website.

Another way is the email might have an attachment and asks you to download it. As soon as you click on the download button and open the attachment, a malware gets installed on your system giving the hacker complete access to your device and data.

How to stay safe
Look for spelling or grammatical errors in domain names or email addresses. Cyber criminals also often use email addresses that resemble the names of well-known companies but are slightly altered. For example, accounts@gmall.com instead of accounts@gmail.com ("l" instead of "i").

Think twice before clicking any links. If you see a link in a suspicious email message, don't click on it. Instead, hover your mouse on the link to see if the URL matches the link that was provided in the message.

Cyber criminals often use threats that your security has been compromised or your account has been blocked. Don't fall for such tricks. Take your time to assess the situation.

2. Malware
What is malware?
Malware is a malicious software that is written with the intent of compromising a system and stealing the data available on the system. These programmes can perform a variety of functions some of which include stealing or deleting sensitive data, modifying system's core functionalities, and secretly tracking the victim's activities. There are various factors that can lead to the installation of malware in your system. One is running an older or pirated version of an operating system which is not safe or updated and thus vulnerable to attacks. Clicking on unknown links or installing fake/pirated software can also lead to downloading of malicious programmes.

Major types of malware
Virus: A virus is a programme that is capable of infecting software and disabling or modifying a system's core functionality. It tends to replicate itself into data files, programmes or boot sector of a computer's hard drive and making the files/system inaccessible.

Trojans: This type of malware tends to create backdoors in your security to let attackers monitor your activities remotely. It disguises itself as legitimate software or is included in legitimate software that has been tampered with.

Spyware: Spyware is malware designed to spy on you. It hides in the background and tracks everything you do online, including your passwords, credit card numbers, surfing habits and chats. It can record keystrokes, videograph you from your webcam and even listen from your microphone.

Keylogger: This is a specific form of spyware that simply records the keys you type and where you type them. These logs are then sent to the attacker who can analyse them to find your passwords, chats, credit card numbers and much more.

How to stay safe
Use a legitimate anti-virus software.
Do not download any fake software as there are chances it may contain malware.
Never click on fake antivirus pop-ups that are generated from websites.
Always keep your operating system updated.
Never download pirated apps/software as they always contain some kind of malware

3. Malicious mobile apps
What are malicious mobile apps?
There is a big misconception that every app available on Google Playstore or Apple store is safe and legitimate. However, this is not the case. Not every app available on these stores is safe for users. Some of these apps may contain malicious code that can put your privacy at risk.

How such apps can steal your data
The malicious apps may contain a code snippet that can install malware on your device. Besides this, the app may ask for unnecessary permissions that hackers may misuse to extract critical data including your contacts, messages and media.

It is advised to look out for the following permissions as they can be misused by an application:

Accounts access: It helps collect crucial data including contact lists and e-mail addresses.

SMS permission: It can be used to send SMSs to premium-rate numbers and drain out your balance.

Microphone access: It can record phone conversations.

Device admin permission: It can help a hacker take remote control of your phone, track it live and even wipe it remotely.

Contacts: It can help a hacker steal your contacts and sell it to ad networks.

How to stay safe
Always check the permissions before downloading an app.
Check reviews and ratings.
Avoid downloading an app if it has less than 50,000 downloads.
Do not download apps from third party app stores.
Never download pirated/cracked apps.

What is Smishing?
Smishing is a form of phishing in which someone tries to trick you into giving them your private information via a phone call or SMS message. Smishing is becoming an emerging and growing threat in the world of online security.

How it can compromise your data
Smishing uses elements of social engineering to get you to share your personal information. This tactic leverages your trust in order to obtain your information. The information an attacker is looking for can be anything from an online password to your bank account details or OTPs to gain access to your accounts. Once the hacker has your required data, he can use it for various attacks.
Messages sometimes also come with shortened links with luring offers and deals that when clicked, install malware on your devices.

How to stay safe?
Don't share any critical information over a phone call or SMS.
Always verify the identity of the message before clicking links in it.
If you receive a message saying its from a person you know and asks for critical data, call the person on the number stored in your contacts (instead of calling the SMS number) and verify that he/she has requested the data.

5. Physical security threats
What are physical security threats?

A physical threat is any threat to your sensitive information that results from other people having a direct physical access to your devices like laptops, hard drives and mobile devices.

Physical security threats are often underestimated in favour of technical threats such as phishing and malware. Physical device threats occur when someone is able to physically gain access to your confidential data like data gathered from stolen devices.

Physical security breaches can happen at your workplace or even at your home. For example, someone could get hold of your confidential files that they are not supposed to see or access an unattended system which is not password-protected.

How to stay safe
Be careful how you store confidential information. Use encrypted computer hard drives, USBs, etc if they contain sensitive information.
Never write your passwords on a post-it or notepad.

Never leave your system unattended. Always protect it with a strong password.

Don't leave your phone unlocked and unattended.

Make sure proper backup and remote wipe services are enabled in case you lose your device.

6. Insecure networks
What are Insecure networks?
Connecting your system or device to an insecure network can create the possibility of a hacker gaining access to all the files on your system and monitoring your activity online. A hacker in control of your system can steal passwords of your social accounts, bank accounts and even inject malware on authentic websites that you trust. With programmes freely available on the Internet, anyone can sit in a car outside your home and access your critical files, accounting data, usernames and passwords, or any other information on the network. A competitor in possession of such in-depth knowledge of your official documents can be a damaging or even fatal threat to your business.

Connecting to a "free" airport/coffee shop WiFis is dangerous especially when you are carrying out critical activities online such as banking, private conversation or even browsing your email. These networks are often left unprotected which can allow a malicious hacker in the same shop/region to snoop on you easily.

How to stay safe
Never connect to open Wi-Fi networks that you can't trust. Just because it's free, it doesn't mean it's safe too. When in a cafe with a Wi-Fi facility, ask the staff for the Wi-Fi you can connect to instead of randomly connecting to any open network.

If you are using a public Wi-Fi, avoid performing any bank transactions or accessing any critical information while being connected.
Use strong encryption like WPA2 on your home and office WiFi router instead of Open or WEP security as these can easily be hacked.

Your security is in your own hands. Stay cautious and alert at all times. Always remember, someone, somewhere is trying to hack you and basic security practices mentioned above can protect you from most hacks.

(Ankush Johar is Director of HumanFirewall.io, a cyber security solution provider. This article is from our Cyber crime special series 'Dangers of Living in a Connected World')

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Internet security 101: Six ways hackers can attack you and how to stay safe

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While an increasingly connected world makes our lives easier, it also poses great risk as we expose our personal data to cyber criminals or hackers.

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This is a great source to better grasp the advertiser privacy issue. This is an add blocker endorsed by google, who is a major player in collecting user data. If this doesn't look fishy than nothing does.

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Ad-Blocker is the best ad blocker for your web browser. It can block tracking scripts, banners, annoying pop-up ads and much more.

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This organization has been created to function in one of the few markets that legally requires cookie consent.

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Cookie Consent by Insites - The most popular solution to the EU cookie law

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The most popular solution to the EU cookie law