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Author Topic: Google is watching you  (Read 3805 times)

kitz

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Google is watching you
« on: March 13, 2009, 12:01:19 PM »

It was only 2 days ago that it was announced facebook was to start more targetted advertising. link...

and now I find out tht Google is to display ads based on surfing habits - link.
Further research shows that this has been in a test phase for a while - Google Knows Everything About You.

Many website owners will have today been advised by Google that they need to display a site privacy policy by April 8th.  The email sent out to website holders is as follows

Quote

We're writing to let you know about the upcoming launch of interest-based advertising, which will require you to review and make any necessary changes to your site's privacy policies. You'll also see some new options on your Account Settings page.

Interest-based advertising will allow advertisers to show ads based on a user's previous interactions with them, such as visits to advertiser website and also to reach users based on their interests (e.g. "sports enthusiast").  To develop interest categories, we will recognize the types of web pages users visit throughout the Google content network.  As an example, if they visit a number of sports pages, we will add them to the "sports enthusiast" interest category.  To learn more about your associated account settings, please visit the AdSense Help Center at http://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=20310.

As a result of this announcement, your privacy policy will now need to reflect the use of interest-based advertising. Please review the information at https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=100557 to ensure that your site's privacy policies are up-to-date, and make any necessary changes by April 8, 2009.  Because publisher sites and laws vary across countries, we're unfortunately unable to suggest specific privacy policy language.

Looking at the available settings, website owners should be able to opt out of this - which I will be doing.


I do have concerns atm at just how much information that google is able to gather about individuals if you use all their applications such as google mail, google chrome browser and google desktop.
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roseway

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2009, 12:39:57 PM »

I agree with your last point, and definitely approve of your intention to opt out of the targetted advertising.
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fudgem

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2009, 01:15:05 PM »

Will these 'targeted ads' be blocked by the adblock programmes nearly everybody uses?  or have they found a way round that?
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BritBrat

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2009, 01:21:05 PM »

Dont the meta tags work?
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kitz

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2009, 01:46:26 PM »

By default the settings are

Show ads based on user interest categories. Visitation information from my sites may be used to help create interest categories.

Ive changed it to

Do not show ads based on user interest categories. Visitation information from my sites will not be used to help create interest categories.


I'm not sure I like that idea that google will be tracking every site I visit, and then when I do visit a site that displays google ads, it will serve me ads based on previous sites that I've viewed.

I cant do much about google tracking users, but I can do my tiny bit to ensure that my site isnt part of their targeting.
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kitz

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2009, 09:21:02 PM »

Talking of google ads...

has anyone else noticed that on the ad rotator, that every time the google ad displays its a Vonage one? 
I noticed its been like that for the past few days.. (since I opted out) and that Vonage must be target ad bidding on the site. 
I'm not complaining like..  normally I only get a few cents per day (every little helps).. but the past couple of days my eCPM has gone right up as it looks like theyre paying/bidding something like 60c to 80c per click. :D
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tuftedduck

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2009, 07:25:41 AM »

I don't see any ads on this site as I have disallowed them via Opera adblocker.

Does that mean the site loses some revenue...?
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toulouse

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2009, 07:31:42 AM »

@kitz

Sorry if this is a FAQ - but what is your eCPM. I Know CP/M as a old, but still very good, 8/16 bit operating system.

TTFN
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roseway

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2009, 07:51:39 AM »

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kitz

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2009, 11:23:40 AM »

@ TD...  dont worry about it - all it is that I rotate a google ad - and if anyone clicks on it, the site gets a small amount.

@toulouse - I dont understand it all either - tbh I just leave them to it..  because it never seems to tie up and the amounts are never the same.
Some days i may get only $0.01 or normally its only a few cents.. but the vonage ads seem to be paying either 29 cents or $1 per click. To make it even more confusing the other day they paid 33 cents for no clicks at all.. and today theyre paying 5 cents for no clicks so I havent the foggiest how it all works out.


The only reason I asked is if anyone else had noticed that every single google ad Im  seeing on the rotator since I opted out is for vonage...  and I was just checking if its only me seeing this.
Suspicious minds at work to make sure google ads have got me as opted out properly. - Is it Vonage bidding on the site... or is it anything to do with googles new target ads.
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toulouse

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Re: Google is watching you
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2009, 12:48:44 PM »

@kitz - so if I, or anyone else clicks on one of those ads at the top of the page, you or the site earns some money - is that right ?

If so, I promise from now on I'll click on it at least once a day - how's that !!!


TTFN
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