Across the pond: Behavorial targeting smackdown

While much is being made about the Truste report that came out this week regarding user affinity for behavorial targeting, (I’ll make that post public today or tomorrow) BT is taking a public shellacking overseas from the ad targetting test it ran with Phorm, a service not unlike U.S.-based NebuAd.

If you haven’t read the article, here it is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7325451.stm

Internet law has consistently shown that European legislation is more aggressive on issues of privacy of internet bet practices.

What’s interesting is that Nicholas Bohm, spokeman the Foundation for Information Policy Research and the plaintiff, suggest that behavorial targeters must get sign-off not only from the web users, but from Web sites themselves.

The manpower and customer service, plus subsequent revenue share, that might happen on account of incorporating “Web site” operators would probably make this type of targeting cost prohibitive.

Here in the states, we’re still waiting for more from the IAB on this matter. That’s good to know.