Companies which use online targeted ads are facing a major consumer backlash on the back of new research which claims only 16% are happy about their data being used to tailor marketing messages.
The issue has been vexing the regulators for years, and, according to Deloitte’s Media Democracy report, their concerns are wholly justified.
In further evidence of the potential threat, the study – which quizzed 2,276 UK consumers – also shows that just 15% were positive about the use of their browsing history to provide more targeted advertising.
However, Deloitte claims these concerns are being ignored as a large number of UK Internet users are already having their data used in this way.
One observer said: “Targeted advertising is coming to the consumer whether they feel comfortable with that or not. The key here is to effectively communicate the benefits of it to the consumer so they understand why it is potentially so much more useful to them. Better that than to be on the receiving end of so many less effective CRM models.”
The move follows Brussels criticism of the advertising community’s behavioural advertising strategy which features an icon, supported by an information website, amid calls for the introduction of a proper ‘do not track’ web browser
system.
Deloitte said that while there is a lack of positivity towards data being used for advertising online, social networks and phishing were two of the least concerning routes of data being misused. Instead consumers are more concerned about how their data is at risk with major organisations, such as banks or credit card companies.
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