The perils of Google

Have you ever thought what happens with the information you just entered in Google? Lets say you need to check your bank account, web browers nowadays make it really easy to search for something on google without even opening the browser. So, you search for say "Citibank" and Googles directs you to the specific website for your bank. But what happens with the key word searched in google? Well Google stores it and directly caters adverts to what sale experts think you need. So now that they know you are banking with say Citibank now they are going to send you specific adverts against Citibank or something more broader like "are you happy with your (blue) bank?"...The possibilities are endless...

One of the inventors of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners Lee, addressed the House of Lords with the specific problem of privacy and data protection of the internet users. Speaking to the House of Lords, the inventor of the world wide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has criticised deep packet inspection ('DPI'), a technique used to monitor traffic on the internet and other communications networks. Mr Berners-Lee said "clearly we must not interfere with the internet. If we snoop on clicks and data, we can find out a lot more information about people than if we listen to their conversations." Targeted advertising services such as Phorm in the UK and, most recently, Google (see below) use DPI to monitor anonymised user behaviour and target adverts at those users. UK government initiatives such as the Intercept Modernisation Programme have also proposed using DPI to perform mass surveillance of the web communications of the entire UK population. Mr Berners-Lee declined to comment about any particular company or government initiative, but said internet service providers should not perform DPI.

Online publishers and agencies have defended the use of behavioural targeting following Tim Berners-Lee's warning against the collection of online data. Stuart Colman, head of digital for Europe at the Financial Times, said "if users want to access a site for free they need to be prepared to accept such things. Behavioural targeting is anonymous and it's helpful." Kent Ertugrul, founder and CEO of UK based target advertising company Phorm, defended his company's service, which he said is supported by the Information Commissioner's Office, the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Ofcom, and the Home Office.

Also, Google has launched a behavioural advertising system which will use data gathered from tracking users' online activity to send them relevant adverts. Behavioural advertising systems (such as that of UK based Phorm) have recently run into controversy over the degree to which people are informed about their use and the ability to opt out of the system. Google's system allows users to edit the list of interests that Google creates. Users will also be able to opt out of the service altogether, and because of a new plug-in for browsers that means that the opt-out will survive any deletion of cookie files.